Thunderstruck
by AwesomeMcCoolname
Summary: After six years, Haku returns to Chihiro. There are rumors of war in the Spirit World, but there are other dangers closer to home. Are Chihiro's friends exactly who they seem? Is Haku? ChihiroxHaku, OC/OC. Lots of cheesy drama.
1. Thunderstruck

Title: **Thunderstruck**  
Category: Spirited Away  
Author: ReplaceWithSomethingWitty **gave this fic to Me, LovinaHolmes**  
Language: English

Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Romance/Adventure

**A/N: **_This fic was entrusted to me by my friend Replace with Something Witty. I wasn't aware of it but she used my name for one of her characters. She hadn't touched this story in ages, and as I was looking through some of her old bookmarks I came across it and when I asked her, she said, "Oh. Um. Well, I wrote stories on fanfiction but... You can finish them, if you want."_

_Which was weird. But then I saw this one and I liked the idea, and I agreed. So I'm going to redo and add on to Thunderstruck. It's not that good, sorry RWSW, but… I'll try._

_**Song to Play While Listening to This Chapter: **__Lion, by Rebecca St. James_

Chihiro sighed to herself as she stared out the window at the storm. Lightning flashed and her radio crackled, changing to another channel. She reached to change it back, but the song that had come on made her stop.

It reminded her of Haku, of how she first met him. She had been a whiny little girl and he such a cold, distant boy. And yet he had become her best friend, saved her life, helped her survive. Others had told her that he was evil and sometimes even she had wondered. But in the end she had discovered the truth, and she clung to that truth even today.

Even so those days were like a dream now—the most realistic dream in the history of the world, but still a dream. She had learned so much, grown so much. How could a dream leave such a mark on someone? Only people, only spirits can touch a soul like Haku, Lin, No Face, Boh... Even Yubaba, had. Each had taught her something, helped her grow.

"Haku," Chihiro sighed as she gazed sleepily out across the storm covered woods. With a slow, lazy blink of her eyes she rested her cheek on her hand and leaned against the glass of the window. Her eyes unfocused and refocused on random things: a bird, flying against the wind; the whipping of a branch in the wind; the murky, misty barrier of magic between the Spirit and Human Worlds that blurred the lights of the Bathhouse. She could make them out, the twinkling lanterns, but only if she strained her eyes so much that they hurt.

Rubbing them, she looked down at the sketchpad in her lap. Hundreds of sketches of servant boys and dragons—no, _a _servant boy and _a_ dragon—littered the page, surrounding a single dragon's head drawn in chalk. She gazed deep into its green eyes and recalled how they had glinted like cold steel in the elevator, how they had shown such warmth when he comforted her, how they had held such anguish, such hopelessness in them when he was close to death.

"Where are you?" she demanded bitterly, her voice breaking. "You promised, Kohaku." Her fingers stroked the lines of his round face, the way she remembered him that one time he had truly smiled. Chihiro bit her lip. He had promised her, he had been her friend; friends kept their promises... What had happened to keep him six years? Six years!

She looked back up at the window, sighing once more, and her eyes caught a glimpse of silver in the storm. When she had sat up in search of it, it had disappeared.

She would gladly have journeyed to a completely hostile world if he was there, to see him again. Indeed, she had already gone to a foreign world, of which she knew nothing, to see him. And he had shown her what it meant to hope. And she had used that lesson, and she hoped, every second of her life after that, that he would fulfill his promise. Even just to hear his voice…

Chihiro had hoped that he felt the same. But six years seemed too long, and she had begun to doubt.

And yet she still woke, and faced each day. He'd taught her that, and to never run from her problems. If you did, they'd only catch up and make you pay. He had taught her to fly; to live like there was no tomorrow. To never give up. That she could do anything she set her mind to doing. Life was like living in the lion's den, in the dragon's mouth; if you knew how to deal with things, it would treat you gently, like an angel.

So she still woke, faced each day, and hoped.

As her eyes strayed to the window once again, she saw the silver—and this time she shot up. In the process she knocked over the radio from the desk, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes were not deceiving her. She saw the familiar scales, horns, sea green mane. It was Kohaku. It was him!

Frantically she tried to open her window, putting one hand on the desk to steady herself but ending up putting it on the sharp end of an upturned pencil. It was like a pinch; she knew it wasn't a dream.

She felt a wind. Like the one that had pulled her into the Spirit World kicking and screaming, it flooded threw her room, dragging her drawings of dragons and boys into the air and whipping her hair about her face as it stretched into a rarely seen smile. He was finally fulfilling his promise.

Just as she managed to throw her window open a flash of lightning ripped the heavens, and she screamed.

He was falling_._

Fast.


	2. Suddenly

**Chapter Two**

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

Chihiro leaped off of her desk and threw on a jacket and a baseball cap that one of her friends on the baseball team had given her a while back, she forced her feet into her sneakers without untying them, and then she hurled herself out of the room, down the stairs, out of the house, her ponytail whipping behind her. It was held up in the band her friends had given her so long ago in the Spirit World.

She thanked God that her mom was at a sewing club meeting while her father was at work, and that they trusted her to be alone on a weekend. They weren't there to slow her down. Haku could be dying. He might even be dead already, with blackened scales and smoldering fur… No! She would have felt it, known it, if he was dead. She would have known, somehow.

Finally she entered the forest, sopping wet ponytail _fwap-fwapping_ as she ran. Her sneakers squelched as they slapped the mud of the trial. She had an estimate of where he had landed and she veered off the road, crashing through the underbrush as she went. She knew where she was headed, from where she'd begun, and that would make it easier to figure out where she'd end up—hopefully where Haku was. Even so, it would be through thickets and branches that scratched at her exposed skin, blood mixing with rain. Her lungs hurt from running so hard.

But it was worth it.

Over six long years, she had had two boyfriends. Sometimes, sometimes, her faith in Haku wavered. She had deluded herself that she needed to 'live a little'. And she had. Yet they had lasted only so long, and slowly she had come to realize—once again—that she indeed loved Haku.

She loved him. And that was why she continued to run.

Finally, Chihiro stumbled into a clearing with fallen trees littering the ground, smoking. In the center of the split branches and splintered wood, lay a familiar dragon. His once silver-white scales were charred; his sea-green mane was scorched and still aflame in patches. There was the smell of fried and flayed flesh in the steam curling from his long, broken body. His limbs were twisted at odd angles, his head was thrown back and his jaws were open to reveal bloodied teeth.

But worst of all, he was not moving.

Her world ground to a halt as she took in the horrible scene. Her terrified whisper of his name was met by only the unfeeling sound of torrential rain falling from the heavens. As she picked her way forward to kneel by his head, his scales began to disappear, some dissolving completely and others, the most burnt ones, simply falling away to clatter on the ground, filling with water and mud. Soon he was left in his humanoid form, his clothes torn and burned and his skin flaking painfully under her touch. She gently rolled him over, cradling his head in her hands—it had been turned at an odd angle and she was afraid at how limp his muscles were in her hands. She was no doctor; had his neck been broken?

But then he gave a weak groan and his eyelashes fluttered. She relaxed, and she brushed some blood from his cheek. True, she was no doctor, but her friend's parents were. If only she could get him back to her home, she could call them… But he had aged, lengthened, gotten heavier over the past six years. There was no way she could carry him.

Her wet hair was making her hair band to come out, and she just took it out to save it the trouble. As she sat there, fiddling with the band, her anxiety for Haku's well-fare growing, she vaguely wondered if she should leave to get help. She quickly dismissed the idea-she might ever find him again, or she might be too late. A wave of despair hit her like a tsunami and tears began to fall from her eyes. One splattered against Haku's face, and another fell on her hair band.

It took her a moment to realize that rain was no longer falling on them; her skin had numbed with the icy atmosphere, and the warmth of her room didn't reach her bones for a moment or two. But soon she saw that Haku was lying on her bed, and she was kneeling beside him on the mattress, quickly getting it soaked… And her desk was littered with soggy papers.

A fresh gust of cold wind flew through the open window, bringing with it a burst of wind. She ran to close it and locked it before turning back to Haku. In the silence, she could hear his soft, labored breathing. It caught in his throat—for a moment his brow furrowed in pain, and then he began hacking and coughing. She jumped as blood trickled out the corner of his mouth, and after hovering over him for a moment she realized she was helpless.

She had to get help.

Chihiro ran to get the phone, knowing that while she couldn't call the hospital she _could_ call her friend, Skylar, whose parents were doctors. She quickly dialed their number, tugging on her hair as it rang over and over. She was sure she'd go mad if the incessant ringing didn't stop soon.

Finally, Skylar picked up the phone. "What's wrong?"

Chihiro began to explain. "You remember Kohaku?"

"How could I forget?"

"He was hit by lightning, and I don't know what to do. I can't take him to the hospital, but your parents—"

Skylar could hardly make heads or tails of what Chihiro was saying because her tone was so rushed and anxious, but as soon as she heard "lightning" and "your parents" she had excused herself and ran for her parents. After explaining that one of Chihiro's friends had been hit by lightning and making sure that her parents began getting the things they'd need, Skylar came back to the phone.

"We're on our way," she said, and then hung up.

They were there within five minutes; five minutes which Chihiro had spent anxiously twisting her hands, pacing around the hallway.

Skylar's parents ran upstairs, and Skylar followed. She stood in the doorway, keeping Chihiro out, paying attention to what the doctors were doing inside. She gathered that Haku was breathing, but it was barely there, he didn't have any broken bones, his airway was full of blood, his pulse was inconsistent…

Skylar had heard enough. She turned, grabbed Chihiro by the arm, and dragged her downstairs to sit in the stairway, Sky humming and Chihiro worrying. Sure, Skylar was worried too, but she trusted her parents not to let Haku die on them. She told her friend—her sister—so.

"You're so naïve," Chihiro said miserably.

"Perhaps not. Maybe you're too disillusioned."

"You're too young to know."

"I'm fourteen, Chihiro," Skylar protested. "That's only two years younger than you."

Chihiro turned around, momentarily distracted form her depressed thoughts. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting."

Skylar had always been older in appearance than she was; when she was twelve, she'd looked fifteen. At fourteen, she looked sixteen, with a full chest, long legs, and a foul temper. Chihiro was used to underestimating her friend's age to gather the correct one.

As Chihiro turned back to face her knees, she heard Skylar mutter, "Besides, I know reality is a harsh mistress. Don't tell me I'm too young to know."

Chihiro sighed. She knew Skylar was right.

Being an American without a great knowledge of Japanese culture and language, Skylar had been an outcast. Among other things, her shy disposition, social awkwardness, and fiery temper had made her an object of teasing and rumors. At first she hadn't understood what was being said, but once her vocabulary had expanded she realized what people were saying, and she wasn't so thrilled. She had become withdrawn, dark and bitter, and lashed out at anyone who came near her.

Chihiro had also been teased, but for a different reason: daydreaming and doodling in class. Chihiro also, being a tomboy, was tortured about not wearing the right outfit or having the right hairstyle. Girls hated her for hanging out with the 'guys-to-get' all the time, but the boys were who she fit in with. She wasn't about to change herself just so the teasing would stop...

So when Skylar had met Chihiro, something just clicked. She'd had found the perfect friend in her, and Chihiro likewise had found the friend she needed in Skylar. On particularly bad days, the two met at each others' houses and slept over, comforting each other and raising each others' spirits.

Together, they found who they fit in with. Bran, a foreigner just like Skylar, quickly latched on to their small group and became their closest confidant. At seventeen he was in the same year as Chihiro. Unlike either girl, however, people adored him. The female population of the school loved his mystery, accent, and his hard-to-get attitude. He was athletic, polite, and he had enticingly strange looks.

Bran's "strange looks" included white hair, pale skin, and bird like eyes. He was almost always wearing a baseball cap because his lack of pigment made him vulnerable to the suns rays. Sunglasses, too, were a signature of his, hiding the fact that his eyes were almond shaped and gold with pupils that could grow to large sizes to allow him very accurate vision in the dark. Chihiro had always thought that his eyes were like a dragon's, or an owl's. Bran was tall and lean; often Skylar compared him to a sword or, less often and when she was angry, a spindly twig.

Chihiro knew that her "sister" had a crush on the Welsh boy, and sometimes she wondered if Bran knew. Although Skylar kept it well hidden, she periodically slipped up. Sometimes Chihiro caught Skylar staring forlornly at Bran when they were doing homework together, or she would become suddenly shy around Bran. When she heard that he had a date or liked a girl she would withdraw from the group and become a loner for a while. She had her excuses, but Chihiro could guess that she was wishing Bran would come after her. It never happened.

Skylar herself knew she was being stupid, that it was just a crush. She'd get over it someday, she'd mutter in passing to Chihiro without actually addressing the truth.

Chihiro reflected on all this as she paced back and forth across the foot of the stairs. Skylar continued to sit a few feet up, thinking of such things as well.

And so they waited and worried.

Finally, Skylar's mom came down, looking a bit tired, but satisfied. "He's going to be alright, but I'd advise against going walking around in a storm again with his luck," she said.

Chihiro collapsed in relief onto the stairs. Skylar jumped up. "I'll be right back," she said, and went upstairs. She caught her dad as he came out of Chihiro's room and before he could stop his daughter she had slid inside and locked the door behind her. She remained there for a moment, listening over the rumble of thunder outside to her dad's fading footsteps.

She turned and found Haku still fast asleep. She sighed and took a few moments to look him over; he didn't look like a dragon to her. In fact, he looked more like a piece of burnt toast than anything, and Skylar wondered why her parents hadn't insisted on Haku going to the hospital.

"Well, if he _is _a dragon, that means he's got powers, right? Must be those…" But she still felt rather uncomfortable at the thought of her parents being so negligent.

"Chihiro?" a weak voice mumbled.

She turned and smiled. "No, my name's Skylar. Your little girlfriend is downstairs, worried sick." She helped him to sit up and arranged the pillows more comfortably behind him. He opened his eyes ever so slightly and watched as she took a fresh blanket from the closet and covered him with it.

"You smell like her," he commented weakly, and subsided into a fit of coughing. She shrugged and handed him a glass of water.

"Probably because I hang around her so often." She stood and began cleaning the room, stacking the soaking drawings on the desk so that they'd dry and not stick to one another.

"Do you?" he croaked.

"Yeah. We're best friends. Tell each other everything." Haku watched as she gazed out the window, out across at where the Bathhouse was. "You took a long time in fulfilling your promise, dragon. Do you have any idea how much she cried and waited and suffered when you never showed up? Year after year. You caused her a lot of pain." At Haku's flinch, she gave an icy smile. "I know six years can't be a lot to a River Spirit the likes of you," she said, "but for a human, especially for a girl who is in love, that's eternity."

He looked away. "It hurt me too," he said defensively. "I had Yubaba to deal with, and then I had to straighten the bathhouse out. Then I had to break the barrier." He turned back to glare at her. "If I could have come sooner, I would have. Don't you dare think I would have passed that chance up—but there was no chance, before now. And even so…"

Skylar picked up a drawing, and turned it so he could see. "Thousands of these. Each perfected to capture every single minute detail." She put it down and before he could speak she gave him a slight smile and continued. "I know. I'm only telling you this because I want you to know what you've done, and that if I see her hurt anymore, I'll kill you."

"I believe you," he said solemnly, and coughed yet again.

"Good. Now I'll just go giver her the okay and you two can kiss and make up." She dodged a pillow that was lobbed at her, unlocked the door, and slipped out just in time to avoid a second shot, vaguely wondering how he could be throwing pillows if he had just had a near death experience. It must have been because he was a spirit, she decided.

"Your boyfriend's awake," Skylar said to Chihiro.

Chihiro jumped up and looked at her younger friend with worry. "I hope you didn't cause any lasting damage," she said with a certain sense of trepidation. Skylar's mouth twitched as she bit back a grin. She shrugged nonchalantly and then continued on.

Chihiro ran up the stairs, but suddenly froze outside the door.

It had been so long. She had changed so much. He had changed too, and not just by way of cutting his hair much, much shorter than before. Chihiro could tell that he had changed inside, too, and that worried her.

She loved the boy she had known, she loved the mysterious River God she had kept in her mind for six years—but what if she had imagined too much about him and he was completely different than what she thought, how she remembered him? Would that be for the better…or for worse? What if he didn't love her as she loved him? Worse, what if _she _didn't love _him? _The thought seemed horrifyingly possible and made her feel as if she were going to be sick. Her grip on the doorknob tightened as she attempted to summon up any spare ounce of courage she could find.

She opened the door.

He was lying on the bed, propped up by pillows and covered in one of her old down comforters, staring out the window at the Bathhouse, deep in thought. He glanced up worriedly as she entered and quietly closed the door.

"I'm sorry I took so long," he said and there was sincerity in his voice. She sat down at the foot of the bed and he searched her face. "I didn't want to, but… Believe me…"

She smiled. "Forget whatever Sky said," she said calmly. "She's just trying to scare you."

He grimaced. "She succeeded then," he muttered.

Chihiro grinned and began to gather her damp hair into a ponytail again. "So what did she say?" she asked. He gave her a dubious look, and her smile grew and softened. "I see. I'll translate for you. If you ever misbehave, that'll infringe on precious sulking time. And we wouldn't want that."

Haku raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I'll just have to behave myself." He offered her a smile, and she returned it with relief. Silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional rumble of thunder. It was a companionable silence, one that made the feeling in her stomach, of butterflies, grow.

Finally she had to ask him. She could deal with disappointment when it came, no, if it came. But she couldn't handle not knowing at all.

"Haku… You must know," she began, hardly daring to raise her voice or annunciate. She half hoped that he didn't understand what she had said. But he looked her deep in the eyes, and the soft seriousness in his own green orbs made her turn even redder than the color of her jacket.

"Do you love me?" she whispered.

"Chihiro." In his voice was a river, and his hand, which had somehow become wrapped around hers, had all the warmth of bathwater. "You love me. Truthfully, I can't believe you haven't given up on me by now. You're strong, stubborn and kind hearted. You gave me friendship when I didn't deserve it, you saved my life...You gave me back my name." He looked down at their joined hands. "I would trade anything to stay by your side forever," he said, and then looked back into her eyes. "I love you with all my heart and soul."

Now that was really sudden, Chihiro thought, but something inside her head was telling her to shut up and focus on Haku, who was looking at her intensely. He then did what she had been dreaming of for years: His lips met hers, and he pulled her ever closer.

Much too sudden, Chihiro thought vaguely. But she couldn't care less.


	3. Hidden

**Chapter Three**

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

Skylar finally deemed that Haku needed to rest and shoved Chihiro out of the room. She gave him an exasperated, amused look and commanded that he get some sleep.

As soon as she had finished, Skylar made sure Chihiro was in the family room watching a movie with popcorn, and once satisfied, looked for something to do. Chihiro needed some alone time, and Skylar could tell her mind was anywhere but in her head from that goofy smile on her face. Eventually Skylar decided she needed some "quality sulking time" and went for the door.

Leaving her shoes on the dry doorstep, she stepped barefoot into the rain.

Chihiro finally came back down to earth and picked up the bowl of popcorn. Her lips were buzzing, and so was her head. Although she was thinking about the kiss, she wasn't as thrilled with it as her mouth was. It had all happened so suddenly. She knew it was slightly wrong, having only just met him after six years absence. However, there was still that nagging voice in the back of her head telling her to ignore it.

She sighed, and pulled her hair band off of her wrist. It had been blocking her circulation and her arm was beginning to tingle. She tossed it onto the sofa beside her and sighed yet again, settling down to enjoy her movie.

Haku, meanwhile, was fast asleep in Chihiro's room, dreaming about something which made him frown. And Skylar was standing in the middle of the local park, her face bared to the sky. She had left her jacket at Chihiro's house, as well as her umbrella. All of her was soaked to the bone with chilling winter rain.

She didn't even have the strength to hum whimsically to herself as she was so prone to doing. She closed her eyes and let the water slide over her eyelids.

A twig snapped behind her and she spun around, her wet hair slipping into her face. Her eyes frantically searched for the source of the noise, and for a moment she hardly dared to breathe. Then she noticed who it was.

"Oh," she said in relief. "It's only you."

Bran chuckled. "Oh yes _only_ me," he said sarcastically, in heavily accented English, crossing his arms and raising a pale eyebrow at her. "Am I chopped liver? I thought I deserved something more." His eyes glinted through his dark glasses as he gave her a roguish smile, his usual self.

Skylar rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why so full of yourself, Bran?" she asked. "Did Kimiko actually agree to go out with you on Friday?" He turned deep red and she knew he was cursing his pale complexion. She found herself smiling for him, though it was a bit tense. "Dang it. I've lost my chance, haven't I? Smooth, Skylar, you slug…"

"That's great!" she said aloud.

"_Diolch_," he murmured. They stood in silence for a while, Bran rapidly becoming soaked through his black jacket. "You're going to catch your death out here,_ Cariad_," he finally said.

She shrugged and her smile became more genuine. "I'm out here _every _time it rains, Bran. Haven't caught my death yet, have I?" She stuck her tongue out at him

He laughed at her. "This might be the day your luck changes, Skylar," he remarked. "But something's bothering you."

She seemed caught off guard. "Uhh… Well... You remember that story about Haku, the dragon, and the Spirit World Chihiro always goes on about?"

"Yeah. Thought she was just quirky."

"I thought she was insane. Well, apparently this Haku showed up. She's got this guy in her house who's recovering from being hit by lightning, and I think he's the real deal. Kinda weird, though, y'know?" Skylar bit her lip uneasily. "They're head over heels for each other. And if she's been telling the truth—well, she's so obsessed, y'know, it's really likely she's going to be leaving for the Spirit World once he gets better."

His expression cleared to that of understanding. "When do you think that'll be?" he asked, and with silent agreement they began to walk through the mud. His sneakers were covered with mud now, and so were her numb, white feet.

"I don't know. Soon."

"You look pale," he murmured. She shivered hard, and when Bran looked at her he realized that her lips were a pale shade of blue. "I really think you should get inside," he said firmly and before she could say anything else he took her arm and dragged her towards his house, which was closest to the park. She couldn't have protested even if she wanted to, as her head was throbbing and her nose was starting to run down her face. Maybe standing out in the rain wasn't such a good idea.

"You think?" Bran asked her, and she realized that she must have said it aloud. She blew her nose into her sleeve and made to wipe at him, but when he moved away in disgust and left her unsupported, she nearly fell over. "Are you alright?" he asked frantically, coming back and helping her steady herself.

She put a hand to her head. "You know, Mom says I've been coming down with a cold for days. I didn't believe her."

"When will you learn, your mum's always right?"

"Let's just get inside, alright?"

"We're almost there," he said and they set off at a faster pace. When they finally got to his house, he took out his keys and unlocked the door, pushing Skylar inside and steering her to the family room.

"I'll be right back," he said, sprinting upstairs. Skylar stood where she'd been left and sighed, looking around at the room she had never been in before. It was kind of pathetic that he was her best friend and she'd never been to his house, but it was true. There was a TV, as would be expected, and there were a bunch of shelves lining the wall, full of books from different places, including Wales. There were also some pictures on the wall of Bran's friends in Wales. She gritted her teeth as her head pounded again, interrupting her search for photos of his parents.

She heard Bran's footsteps as he came back downstairs, and she turned to meet him. "Here," he said, handing her a warm towel. She began to wipe off her face and wring out her hair. When she had finished she let her hands drop to her sides, panting slightly, her face scrunched up. Her head hurt so, _so_ much... Bran pushed her down onto the couch and forced her to lie down before putting a hand to her forehead. He bit his lip. "You're burning up," he murmured, more to himself than to her. He took off his sunglasses and put them down to get a better look at her. She looked rather green.

"I think I'm going to barf. Can you call my mom?"

"I'll get you a bucket, then we'll talk," he said, and ran for the kitchen.

When he came back, she grabbed the bowl and heaved up her lunch into it. He rubbed her back, and when she was done she leaned against his side, panting and crying lightly.

"I called Chihiro," he said. "Told her to have some of her special tea ready for you."

"What am I going to do when she leaves?" Skylar asked as she wiped her face on the towel.

"I don't know," he sighed, absently running his fingers through her tangled hair. "I really don't know."


	4. Secrets

**Chapter Four**

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

Chihiro opened the door to find her two friends standing underneath the overhang above the door, Bran's umbrella was leaning against the wall. "Hey," Chihiro said, stepping aside to let them through. Skylar's feet were muddy and pale, which wasn't surprising considering that she had left her shoes at Chihiro's. "The tea's in the kitchen, Skylar."

Skylar launched herself at Chihiro and tackled her into a hug. "I'm going to miss you!"

Chihiro laughed a bit confusedly, taking small steps toward the kitchen and shooting a desperate look at Bran—only to find that he was gone. When she looked around for him, she saw him ascending the stairs to her room. She sighed. Just what she needed.

"What happened?" Chihiro asked Skylar as they headed into the kitchen. "Aside from you being ill, something else is bothering you. What happened?"

Skylar sat down and took a sip of the tea, her shoulders relaxing. "I was out in the rain and Bran came. He's going to ask Kimiko out."

Chihiro's brow cleared. "I see. So that's why you wouldn't look at him."

"Well, yeah." Skylar rubbed her temples. "This tea is like a liquid miracle, y'know that, Chi?"

The girl in question smiled slightly. "And the entire 'I'm going to miss you' thing?"

Skylar blinked. "Aren't you leaving?" When Chihiro just looked at her confusedly, Skylar raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing that as soon as that Haku guy gets better, you're going to the Spirit World."

"Oh. Of course."

Chihiro frowned as Skylar looked down at her tea. "I… I never really believed you, Chi. Are you sure that's Haku?"

"I _saw him_ as a dragon. I was looking out of my window and saw him flying, and saw him get hit by lightning. When I went to where I saw him fall, I saw a dragon, and that dragon melted into that boy. If that's not Haku, then it's a very good imposter."

The American girl bit her lip and tapped the teacup with her nails. "Look, Chihiro—my parents should have been asking more questions. They should have _at least_ told us to bring Haku to the hospital. But they didn't."

"I noticed that as well," Chihiro said slowly. "I thought it was Haku."

"Yeah, so did I. I was just wondering. It bothered me."

Chihiro nodded, and held up the teapot. "More?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

Haku had woken a few moments ago to find himself feeling much better than before. His hearing and his eyesight had been restored to their draconian levels of precision, and he could hear the next visitor approaching long before the doorknob had turned or the door opened. He pushed himself up as the familiar young man walked inside and closed the door. He wasn't just familiar, but wet, too. His white hair hung in his eyes and his jacket was dark and dripping.

"You look like a drowned cat," Haku said. Bran scowled at him and almost immediately Bran's clothes were dry and his hair was snowy white again. Not a single drop of water remained. Haku, however, felt much wetter. "Thank you for dumping it all on me," Haku said with a roll of his eyes.

"I see you're feeling better, then," Bran said, pulling out a chair from the desk by the window and sitting down on it, crossing his arms over the back and resting his chin on them.

"I am," Haku agreed. "And you?"

"As well as can be expected." Bran offered him a pained shrug. "How's life at home?"

Haku shook his head and sighed. "What can I say?" he asked rhetorically. "A well-loved Volcano spirit disappeared and, of course, his friends suspected the Rivers and the Seas. Soon after, one of the River gods vanished and his friends blamed it on the Fire Kingdom. Zeniba and the Council are trying to make peace with them, but you know well enough that once a fire has flared up it takes more than a Council to calm it down; once an ocean forms a grudge, it will simmer for eons."

"I know," Bran said. "Have there been any attacks?"

"There have only been a few skirmishes between the two kingdoms, but there is a great chance that war will break out. For now, however, the Bathhouse has been declared neutral territory and Zeniba and some Council members will be coming there for the rest of the negotiations."

Haku paused and grimaced.

"Some of the attacks have Yubaba's magic in them. She vacated the Bathhouse with all of her jewels, but left Boh with us; obviously she feels confident in her abilities to get rid of us to get him later. Knowing her, she's not going to ask nicely for her son… If she gets rid of me, she will turn all the Bathhouse workers into slaves again—I only just barely finished rewriting their contracts. It was such a legal mess that it kept me ensnared for six years. As soon as I could get away from it all, I came to bring Chihiro back."

Bran's face was the perfect picture of sincere empathy, his brow furrowed and his lips thin. Haku hesitated.

"I was asked to bring you back, too."

Bran's expression changed immediately. "Why?" he demanded. "I can't just leave her here!"

"We have a war brewing in _your_ kingdom! I'm not asking you to leave her-she can come too. Of course, her human parents would object, but after that you have no obstacles, nothing holding you back."

He rolled his eyes in anger. "I can't take her with me, River. She's still a child. She wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Chihiro was younger than her when she came to the Bathhouse, and your little 'child' is much tougher than Chihiro was when she was there. I think she can."

"I hate you," he muttered, but Haku knew he didn't mean it. If Bran had, Haku wouldn't have been left alive; fortunately, Bran wasn't feeling vindictive.

"You love her—you want to keep her safe," Haku said calmly. "I know it isn't safe in our world, but they can help. They _must _help. Leaving them here will kill us all, the girls included."

"Who asked you to tell me to come back?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Your father."

He sighed and closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his arms. "Fine. You've got me," he muttered. "When do you think we should get back?"

"As soon as possible," Haku answered, and tried to move his legs. He fell back against the bed, groaning, his brow furrowed in pain.

"As soon as you're able to walk, I think, is a better time," Bran said warily. "The Spirit World will open by itself in about a week for the Solstice, so we have a bit of time for you to recover and for me to make up my mind."

"Alright," Haku said.

"But, dragon…" Bran bit his lip and glowered at the window. "She doesn't remember me. I have kept my secret from both of them, and I'd like it to stay that way—I really, really would like her to remember on her own. Don't tell her."

"It will be hard keeping it a secret when you get back," Haku replied, but Bran stood and went to the door without answering.


	5. Taking Risks

**Chapter Five**

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5**

I opened my eyes to find myself lying on the couch in Chihiro's living room; we had started watching the rest of the movie together, and I must have dozed off. I could see Bran's feet keeping my legs from slipping off the couch. Bran himself was perched on the back of the couch, smiling down at me. I sat up just as his hand reached down, and I froze when a pair of icy fingers touched my cheek.

"You've certainly cooled down," he remarked calmly. "You feel any better?"

"Yeah, much," I said and finished sitting up. I yawned. "So now what?"

"Skylar, I was thinking…" He paused, almost expectantly.

I took my cue with glee. "Always a dangerous venture."

He didn't laugh, but he allowed a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips. "So, personally I don't very much like the idea of us splitting up. What do you think of…" He was wearing his trademark crooked grin, a Cheshire grin if I ever saw one. It was contagious, and spread across my face as well; his smaller one widened slightly, and my heart spluttered pathetically.

"What do you think of running away to the Spirit World?"

It was as if he'd asked me to run off and marry him. My breath caught and my eyes widened, but my smile remained in place with true feeling. "My parents would never agree, y'know," I said once I had found my voice.

"Hmph," he huffed softly, but he wasn't the least bit huffy—just the opposite, he looked as though I had agreed. His slight, sly smile softened and his eyes turned a melted, liquid gold. "That's what notes and camping trips are for," he said calmly. "I'll just say my parents are coming with us. They're on a business trip anyway, it's not like your parents will find out anytime soon."

"You thought it all out, didn't you," I remarked with surprise.

"I even packed," he said with a surprisingly cheerful voice. He almost was never cheerful_._ Pleasant, yes; quiet, usually; happy, sometimes; roguish, always. But never outright _cheerful._

"Who are you and what did you do with Bran?" I asked laughingly, and he frowned. "What, you really are an imposter?" I mock-gasped.

"Skylar," he said after a moment. "Did you ever think there was…more to me?" His voice was hesitant, his eyes unsure of whether that was the right way to ask.

I felt my cheeks flush and I forced myself to keep my mind off of _that._ _That_ wasn't what he had meant. Get your mind out of the gutter, Skylar.

"Yes," I said truthfully. "Your looks, your accent, your mystery—all of it screams 'out of the ordinary.'" His frown turned upward at one corner in an amused smile. I smiled back slightly, but it didn't stay on my face long. "But…" I hesitated.

"But what?" he asked sharply.

I bit my lip and said, helplessly, "I don't know. If we're being frank 'n' freaky with each other…"

"Your accent is really thick."

"No. _Your_ accent is really thick." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Want me to finish or not?"

"Fine."

"Well, when I met you—it was like déjà vu. I felt like I'd known you forever. There's just something about your voice, and your eyes, that makes me get déjà vu all the time. And when I'm around you, it's like when you're at high altitude, and your ears plug, and you can't hear clearly? That's my brain." I shrugged.

He seemed to consider this for a moment, then he shook his head to himself. "You're a headcase," he said. Then in one fluid movement, he slid his arms under me, lifted me and stood. Then he set me upright.

"What the hell are you playing at, Bran?" I yelled, dizzy from the swinging up and down.

He ignored me and walked to the door_. "I_ am going home," he said. "And I'm walking you to your place in the process. You weren't feeling any good before, so I don't think I'll let you go home alone."

"I'm fine, Bran," I said in exasperated tones. "Much better 'n' before. You don't have to worry."

Again, he ignored me, and with a weary sigh he reached to grab me. I dodged out of the way and he gave me a warning look. "Come on your own or I'll throw you over my shoulder like the little girl you are," he said imperiously, and I couldn't help but giggle a bit at the false bravado in his voice.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I teased, and shot out the door before my words could sink in.

* * *

Chihiro sat in her classroom staring out the window. Bran, who sat beside her, was watching his friend closely and smiling. It was the last day of school for the winter, lucky for them, but it wasn't good enough for Chihiro. She wanted to be home, and hang out with Haku, and go back to the Spirit World as soon as possible. Instead, she was still stuck inside a stuffy classroom with a bunch of clueless teenagers, not even doing schoolwork, just hanging out till the bell rang and they were allowed out.

Haku had appeared two days previous on Tuesday. He was currently holed away in Bran's house, as his parents were still out on business and no one would be in the house while Haku was there. The Winter Solstice was occurring in three days, and Haku had said that they should leave then. The Spirit World would be open for a week or so following the Solstice, and it'd be best to get in there while the door was open instead of having to break through with what little magic Haku had.

Something hit Bran in the side of the head, and it landed in between his hands on his desk. It was a crumpled up note, and guessing from the pink coloring, overbearing perfume, and the little pink and white pandas printed on it, it was from Kimiko. He unfolded it.

_4rty 2nite, my place?_

It took a minute to realize what the first word was-'party'-but then he quickly wrote his reply.

_Sure. Can I bring Chi?_

Even from across the room he could see Kimiko's wince. She hadn't the grace to hide it as she hunched her shoulders and gave a reluctant sigh before she scribbled down her answer. He snatched it out of the air and unrolled it. He smiled when he saw it and gave Kimiko the universal finger-made heart shape. She blushed appreciatively and held up her fingers to signal that the party'd be from 7p.m. to 11p.m.; he nodded and turned to relay this information to Chihiro, but then the bell rang.

Chihiro shot up and bolted out the door without waiting for Bran to gather his stuff.

He found himself chuckling and giving Kimiko's hand a quick squeeze before he walked out into the hall in search of Sky. They met by a lamp post at the edge of campus, and Sky asked him why Chihiro had run away, "Like Wile E. Coyote was after her."

He laughed.

"Why else?"

Sky rolled her eyes. "I was hoping it wouldn't be over that guy, y'know. She knew him for what, three days when she was ten, and he's been back for two days now and she's still obsessed."

"He's a nice guy," Bran said. "Let them work out. Let her make her mistakes, if they're mistakes. If they're really bad, we can stop them. But for now, they're just making puppy eyes at each other and snogging a bit."

"But what about-"

"If she threw herself at him, which I don't think our Chihiro would in the first place, but assuming she ever became possessed and _did,_ do you really think that Haku would accept?" He chuckled at Skylar's expression. "That dragon is almost as prudish as Mr. Tsukino." The teacher in question was as celibate as a monk, though very handsome. He'd received many hundreds of love letters from adoring students.

Skylar nodded. "Alright. If you say so..." She paused and sniffed. "Ugh. My sinuses!"

"What, is the smell of the grass that bad?" Bran questioned, also sniffing. "I mean, I know that after it rains it's generally bad, but it's not _that _bad today, is it-"

"No, I meant the perfume."

Bran quieted and gazed at her for a long time. "Oh."

They continued walking.

"Kimiko's throwing an end-of-the-year party," he said eventually. "It's just Chi and me invited, so I was thinking of maybe canceling on her."

But Skylar shook her head. "No," she said, "you should go. Kimiko is your girlfriend, and the party's for your class. To tell you the truth I've got a class party of my own." She smiled encouragingly. "My parents are working tonight, so I don't have a ride. Maybe if the times match up well, you could be my chauffeur for the evening?"

"Seven to ten?"

"Six-thirty to ten," Skylar said happily. "Great, it works out! Will you drive me?"

He nodded and they stopped in front of Skylar's driveway. "I'd be happy to," he said.

"Good. Want me to come to your place, or you want to pick me up here?"

"I'll meet you here at six twenty," he said. "Alright?"

She hugged him. "Yup! See you later." She waved at him and he walked off, and she went into her house to put away her stuff and tell her parents she had a ride.

* * *

Bran honked from the driveway, and Skylar ran out and jumped into the passenger seat. Bran's parents, being rich, had bought him a very expensive car when he finally got his license, and Skylar loved getting driven around in it. It made her feel like a movie star. Bran had the radio up, and Skylar felt very happy as she sat beside him, bobbing her head, looking out the window.

"I'm thinking of making my move tonight," Bran said offhandedly.

Skylar's head-bobbing lost its beat for a moment, then resumed. She kept her face turned away from him. "Really? I hope she slaps you. You haven't even gone on a date yet." She took a small breath, composed herself, and glanced at him. "Wasn't it_ you_ who told me never to kiss this early in a relationship?"

"Yeah. Watch out for smooth operators like me." He winked at her. She had to laugh at that, and he kept her laughing right up to the door of her friend's house.

Then he drove back to Chihiro's house to pick her up, and together they drove to Kimiko's. Chihiro had expressed reluctance to come, but Haku had told her that she should have as much fun with her friends as possible before they leave. By the time they got there it was seven-fifteen and the party was already in full swing. They were greeted by Kimiko's parents, who were just leaving, and Chihiro and Bran were swept away into the mass of writhing bodies and thundering music.

"Hey!" Kimiko shouted, attaching herself to Bran's side. "There you are!"

"Hey," said Bran, and that's when the party really started.

About an hour later, Bran had Kimiko in a corner. He had participated in the obligatory sweet talking, had a drink—or two—and now he was in a corner with a tipsy girlfriend who was waiting for him to make the move he'd been planning for weeks. For the life of him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He turned away from Kimiko and put his head in his hands.

She asked him what was wrong but didn't receive a response; he was asking himself that. "I'm not feeling good," he mumbled eventually. "I think I'm going to go home…" She cooed and told him what a poor thing he was, and when he asked her to find Chihiro she said of course and went to get her, leaving him sitting in the corner with his fingers digging into his scalp.

"She doesn't remember me," he argued to himself. "She's not going to remember me, so it's time I move on… Why can't I?" He ran his hands through his hair. "She loves me—I love her…"

Chihiro and Kimiko came out of the crowd. "Chi," Bran groaned, "I think I have to go home. I'm not feeling well. Do you want to stay?"

Chihiro didn't spare Kimiko a second glance before shaking her head. "No, I think I should drive you home. How much did you drink?"

"I dunno…"

Chihiro sighed. "Alright. Kimiko, I'll go get the car ready. Could you bring him out?"

Kimiko nodded and said sure. Chihiro took Bran's keys and ran out of the house, frankly glad for the cold night air. Kimiko helped Bran up and led him to the doorway, and let him lean against the doorway. Of course, she leaned against him too.

Just as Chihiro drove up, she took his face in her hands and leaned in. Her lips were soft, slimy from too much chapstick and lipstick, and tasted like sake. Nothing like he had imagined.

He pulled away and staggered out to get in his car.

As he lay in the passenger's seat, his head pressed against the cool grass, he couldn't help but imagine how things should have gone so many times before… _She _didn't wear any makeup at all; _her_ lips were so naturally pink, not painted; _she_ was so shy, so hesitant… It would be like heaven to kiss _her_…

"How many drinks did you have?"

Bran held up two fingers. "Just two."

"How big were they?"

"Shotglasses."

She stopped in front of his house and looked at him. "So you're not drunk. Not even tipsy."

He shook his head. "But she doesn't know that. It's a good excuse."

Chihiro continued to stare. "You've been daydreaming about her for ages, Bran. What changed your mind?" When he didn't meet her eyes and didn't respond, she felt her trademark temper flare. "Hey!" she snapped, and he flinched. "Idiot! Do something for me."

"Oh God, Chihiro. What is it?"

"I don't know what exactly made you choose to end this thing with Kimiko before it even began—but stick closer to Sky okay? With Haku and me leaving, you're all she has left for a friend, and I know you haven't been the closest lately, so…"

Bran sighed and looked out the window.

"Let's get inside. We've still got two hours to waste."

* * *

"River?"

I turned to face Bran and found him returning my gaze with hollow eyes. I was alarmed. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"For years I have watched over her," he said slowly. "I have protected her. I have hidden my identity from her, but still I have hoped that she might remember me. She hasn't. I'm afraid she never will. I've tried to move on—but I can't." His face crumpled and he put a hand to his eyes. "I still love her."

"It's obvious to me that she returns your feelings," I said, puzzled over his dilemma.

"It's not the same—I don't want to have to start completely over!"

"Then tell her!"

He growled. "Oh yes. And how would that conversation go? 'Oh yes, you're my long lost lover from a couple of centuries ago, do you wanna have sex?'"

"If that's how you would put it, then I question your sanity and your intelligence." I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. "It seems to me that you have a conflict of interests here. You will be taking her with you, I suppose?"

"You said it yourself. I don't have much choice."

"It's going to be hard to keep your secret once we return. Either she'll force it out of you, force it out of someone else, or she'll remember herself. I think it would be better if you just told her. Webs of lies like yours can only fail, and when they do it will be disastrous."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see him drop his hand to his side. I heard him sigh. "I know," he relented. "But I'm afraid."

"We all are."

* * *

Bran was silent for the entire drive home, but once we pulled into my driveway he burst into life. "You should pack," he said before I could even unbuckle. "They'll be leaving soon. I heard them talking."

"Err, alright. But—"

"You're right. You don't really need anything. It's the note that counts. Let's write one for your parents," he called. I considered being stubborn and protesting, but at that moment he looked over his shoulder with a soft look on his face. He hadn't moved his lips, but I could just hear his voice, clear as day, saying, "You don't belong here."

When he opened his mouth to speak again, I knew I had to have imagined what he said before. "Come on, Skylar. We need some adventure."

I blinked and then all thoughts of protest and stubbornness disappeared. He held the door open for me, and then we were stepping out into the rain.

_

* * *

Love you,_

_Skylar _

Bran's head was just next to mine, his breath tickling my cheek. He was reading over my shoulder as I wrote my parents a note explaining that I was going on a 'camping trip' with Bran and Chihiro. I knew Mom and Dad would see right through it, but Bran didn't seem to be concerned. I signed my name with my trademark loop and then set the pencil down.

"Bran—are you sure…?" I asked hesitantly, not daring to turn my face.

_"Cariad,"_ he sighed, shaking his head; when he breathed that nickname, my heart was in my throat. When his hair brushed against my skin I very nearly screamed and ran. "Of course I'm sure. But _you_ aren't," he stated.

"Of course I'm not sure," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "I keep thinking I'm going to go mad at any moment. Or I'm going to wake up and this is all going to be just a dream."

He smiled. "Perhaps."

"But really." I looked down at my hands and squeezed my fingers. "I'm kind of scared, you know? From what Chi said, the Spirit World isn't the nicest place in the…universe. And… We at least, you and me, we belong here. We belong in the Human World. Chihiro's already been there, she's put part of her heart there. We haven't."

Bran was silent for a moment. "Where's that Yankee sense of adventure?" he asked finally. "It doesn't matter where we belong, _cariad,_ or what danger is in store for us. What matters is that we go, we dare, we _do it. _We can regret it later."

"When you put it that way…"

At that moment, he stood and _he took my hand._ He_ took my hand._

"Well then…" He took a deep breath, as though _he _was nervous. "Let's go find that adventure."


	6. Departure

**Chapter Six**

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

Once again there was a knock on my door, and once again I found my friends waiting outside for me. This time both of them were soaked, and Bran's umbrella was nowhere in sight. Skylar was smiling breathlessly, and Bran had a similar expression on his a moment, I wondered if they'd finally—

"We're coming with you," Bran said, cutting me off. "As soon as Haku feels better, we're all going to the Spirit World. No arguing."

"Um, guys?" I let them in. "Who said we were leaving in the first place?"

They gave me pointed looks. "You said it yourself," Skylar said. "You've waited six years for this, you're in love with him, and there's no way you can survive being away from him again. If you believe anything else, you're an idiot and I'm not an American idealist."

I couldn't help but smile. "Sure, sure," I said. "But what about your…"

"Parents?" Bran smirked down at us. "Already taken care of. Mine are away on business, as per the usual, but no one knows that. Skylar and you are going on a camping trip with my family. That will explain all of our absences, at least for a little while."

"You really thought of everything," I said.

"He even packed," Skylar added, and gestured to the two backpacks Bran had slung over his shoulders. "We're ready when you are."

I hesitated. "Let me go write a note for my parents, alright?" They nodded and went into the kitchen while I went upstairs to get some paper. I found my door open and Haku nowhere to be seen. I looked around for a few moments, my heart racing.

"There's no way he could have left," I said to myself. "Not so soon after arriving."

I bit my lip. I'd have to trust that Haku wouldn't leave. Maybe he was just exploring the house? Maybe he'd needed to use the restroom.

Did Rivers even _need_ to use the restroom?

There was a chuckle from the doorway, and I looked up to find Haku leaning against the frame. "We don't," he said. "At least, not in normal circumstances."

I blushed and looked back at my desk, searching for any sheet of blank paper. That was awkward—and since when could he read my mind? "Really," I said. "And what are 'normal' circumstances?"

"It's complicated," he replied. "For my kind, if we have a healthy river and remain in our dragon bodies for extended periods of time, like any good River should, then we don't. Although, it varies slightly from spirit to spirit. As for the telepathy… I _am _a very powerful river spirit."

I sighed. "Can you help me find a piece of paper?" I asked, picking up a broken pencil and reaching for the sharpener.

"Sure." He held out a hand and narrowed his eyes; a breeze swept through the room, and the windows rattled. His hair, messy and still burnt in patches, fluttered about his face.

Aside from that, nothing happened.

He frowned. "That's strange." He looked at his hand and snapped his fingers. Again, nothing happened.

"Does your magic not work here?" I asked.

"Apparently not," Haku said, and shrugging, he set about searching for paper. Finally, he surfaced from beneath my bed with a fresh stack of blank pages, and a dusty shoebox with his name—his full name written on it.

I accepted the papers and smiled at him. "Go ahead," I said as I began writing. I heard the cardboard lid of the box shift as he lifted it, and I looked up to see his reaction.

His expression softened, and he reached inside to pick up the sheaf of papers, petitions, and photographs inside. Pebbles I'd collected from the site, and some sand and pressed flowers, rattled and rasped as the box tilted in his arms.

"An unclaimed river, right above the remnants of mine," he murmured.

"Almost," I said. "I tried to get the boundaries as close as possible, but there were houses in the way, you know. But the landscapers agreed, and the tenants as well, that a river would be lovely. They've promised to keep it clean and so far they have. It's all natural, too. They managed to find a spring underground and just led it upwards, and expanded the riverbed. It's huge now, Haku, and it's beautiful..."

"I can see that." His fingers, clasping one of the photographs, were shaking. "Chihiro, you really have no idea what this means," he said, and his eyes shone. "Thank you."

I smiled. "Don't mention it."

I told him he could keep the box, and shooed him out of my room while I packed. He protested, saying that we needed nothing for our return visit to the Spirit World, as he'd provide everything we needed at the bathhouse. I retorted that it'd look strange if I didn't take anything with me 'camping', and who knew, maybe something would happen and we'd be glad I packed. Eventually he sighed and went downstairs.

After finishing packing, I gave my room one last look. Something told me that I might never see this place again. Perhaps not even my parents.

That scared me.

"Aren't you worried about your parents?" I asked Sky as she passed by my room on her way—somewhere. "I mean… There is no way I'm coming back, if I can help it. But I'm going to miss them…"

Sky nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, I am," she said softly. "I don't know what's going to happen from now on. I kind of wish I could bring my parents with me."

We were silent for a moment.

"I'm sure it will all work out," she said. "Things have a way of doing that around you."

I gave her a reluctant smile. "They do, don't they?"

We headed downstairs.

* * *

"Are you cold?"

Haku glanced at me from where he was walking, completely dry and looking quite comfortable. I, in turn, was freezing and soaked to the bone. Sometime during our walk the wind had shifted and now the rain was nearly horizontal and coming from what seemed like all directions, rendering umbrellas nearly useless and soaking all of us, except for Haku.

"Y-yes," I said through chattering teeth. Haku put his arm around me and forced me to stop walking; for the thousandth time, I nearly tripped. For a moment, Bran and Sky kept walking without realizing we had stopped and then, before they could notice, I was completely dry and the rain wasn't hitting me anymore. On the contrary, it seemed to angle away from my body three inches or so from my skin.

We began walking again. "The warmth will have to come from me," Haku said and smiled at me charmingly. I blushed. "See, you're warming up already!" He laughed ever so softly and threaded his fingers through mine.

The feeling of being loved like this was rather foreign. Glimpses of this warmth and fuzziness, sure, I had felt them in the touches and smiles of the few boyfriends I'd had over the years. And yet, those sparks were fleeting, they never lasted, and they always seemed to leave me feeling emptier than I'd began. But this feeling, which emanated from my very core and tied me to the dragon boy beside me, it filled me up. The love bubbled up in my chest, it trickled down through my fingertips, and once it reached the hand Haku was holding it shot back up and went down to my toes.

I found myself smiling like I hadn't smiled in a while.

Skylar suddenly stumbled and fell in the mud. Bran stopped beside her, and Haku paused as well. "You alright?" I heard Bran murmur as he leaned down to help Skylar up.

Skylar remained on her hands and knees for a moment, her fingers digging into the mud and grass. "That root," she said slowly, "reached out and tripped me."

I exchanged a worried glance with Haku. "I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one," I said, but she glowered at me.

"Come on, Sky," Bran said. He held out a hand for her, and she accepted it without hesitation. But when she made to stand, I saw the root she'd been glaring at shoot out of the ground and wrap itself around her ankle. She yelped as she was sent sprawling into Bran's lap.

"Agh!" she cried. "That hurts! Ow!"

Bran reached down and grabbed the root, and with a swift twist of his wrist snapped it in two. He helped Skylar get to her feet and then lifted her out of the way of another attacking root. "This is insane," he said to Haku.

Haku nodded, and then dragged me to the forest floor. "Get down!" he shouted, and Bran and Skylar fell beside us just in time to avoid a swinging branch to the head. Haku's voice was in my ear, hissing, "We have to get you to safety, fast."

His muscles bunched, and then he shot forward. Even as he let go of my hand his body lengthened and grew into his dragon form. He was still missing some scales and his mane was shorter and shaggier than before, but he was otherwise healthier than I'd seen him last in this form.

Before I knew what was happening, Bran had thrown Skylar onto my dragon's back and grabbed a fistful of my shirt and dragged me on with him. "Away, dragon!" Bran commanded, and just as more roots and branches shot toward us, Haku sped off. We twisted and turned through the trunks, and with every lurch I was sent face-first against Haku's strong neck.

Skylar screamed somewhere behind me and I looked over the whipping of Haku's mane to see that she was slipping down Haku's back. Suddenly she toppled off of him and barely managed to hang on to one of his legs; clinging to her feet were two creatures I recognized as _tengu._ They grinned up at me impishly from behind their beaks.

Bran was looking back at Skylar as well, his hair whipping about his head. "Let go of her!" he shouted, but the _tengu _merely cackled and threw out their wings, trying to create more drag and at least get Sky to let go.

My friend moaned as her grip on Haku's hind leg loosened.

Haku let a snarl rip loose and Bran seemed to understand as he let go of Haku's mane and slid down his length to where Sky was hanging. He leaned down and grabbed the back of Sky's shirt. "I got you!" Bran shouted over the scream of the wind. "Just hold on tight, we're almost there!"

"I can't!" was her frantic reply.

"Sky-LAR!" In the middle of saying her name, a branch came out of the middle of nowhere and nearly ripped my head off. I ducked just in time, only to be hit by another low hanging branch under the jaw. My vision went completely black as pain exploded in my head, and the next thing I knew my back met the ground and I was flung, rolling, across a wet stone surface.

I groaned, and I heard Haku roar. His front end scrambled to stick a vertical landing on the side of the Entrance above my head, while his lower half followed him; Sky and Bran, who were still hanging on to his tail, were flung deep into the tunnel, screaming.

The _tengu _landed beside me, pausing in their cackling as they thudded against the ground. Their wings fluttered and beat against the stone as they righted themselves.

I gasped and scrambled away from them as fast as I could considering the monstrous pounding in my head. "Get away from me!" I shouted, and Haku hissed, coiling upon the wall. I pulled myself up using the Guardian statue and tried to steady the shaking in my knees, still fighting off an agonizing pain in my neck. "Haku!" I called.

A growl rippled through his body, and he sprang at the _tengu._ They squealed and chattered as they ran away. He shot out his long neck and snatched one of the spirits up in his teeth and shook his head furiously, like a dog with prey or a ball, and then tossed the _tengu_ out into the far forest. He rounded on the second one, tail whipping and nostrils flaring, bloodied teeth bared.

But the _tengu_ had disappeared.

"Haku," I wheezed. "Haku—Ahh!"

Claws dug into my hips and weight settled upon my shoulders; the cackling of the _tengu_ resounded loudly in my ears. Its forelegs tangled up in my hair, and its wings flapped behind my head. I tried to lift my arms to rip it off, but my limbs felt like lead. "I can't move my arms!" I screamed.

The _tengu_ moved my hair to the right, nearly ripping it out of my skull, and my arms and legs moved right. He moved the hair back to the left, and then right again, and performed an elaborate little puppet dance using my body. I tried to fight back, but it was useless, and I was beginning to panic.

I twirled around not of my own will—and suddenly Haku let loose a roar and I felt his teeth sink into the _tengu_'s body as surely as if it had been my own. I screamed and stumbled forward, while he threw his head back and flung the _tengu_ into the sky. I gasped as he picked me up with his forelimbs, with his giant talons, cradling me as if I were a precious stone. He leaned back, and then shot forward into the darkness of the tunnel.

**

* * *

A/N: First real author's note. :P ****Anticlimactically, it's just a quick note about Tengu: They're Japanese spirits of mountains or forests, mischievous and rather vindictive if you spite them. They're avian-human-monkey-beasty-things that can possess people, and like trickses. According to my Japanese mythology book. I might have a bad book, I dunno.  
**

**Ihave this feeling they're being sent after Sky, Chihiro, or Bran by Someone Else. The question is who, and why? :O Dun dun dun.**

**Apologies on the general poor quality of the story.  
**


	7. Whispers

**Chapter Seven**

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

I came-to and found myself lying on the soft sheets of a luxurious canopy bed. Haku had set me down and quickly coiled himself up on the floor, where he was now changing back to his human form.

He rushed over as I sat up. "Are you alright?" he demanded.

"Yeah," I said. "Just really, really sore… Where are Bran and Skylar?" I stood up and accepted his steadying hand, as I was still quite dizzy.

"Oh yes," he said, with a half-disinterested sigh. "Let me go get them. Feel free to explore the Bathhouse, Lin should be lurking around somewhere. Just follow the sound of her roars." For a moment we stood there, watching each other. Then, with a smile, he launched himself out the open doors and, using the balcony railing as a springboard, hurtled out into the stormy sky.

I watched him until he disappeared around a corner of the Spirit city. Then I turned began my search for the door out of this apartment.

As I went, I searched for answers to my questions, questions which sprung up just as quickly as I answered them. I learned that Yubaba had vacated the bathhouse soon enough, as when I entered the familiar office it was missing many familiar things. It had been cleared of jewels and glitz, and its reds and purples had been replaced with simple blues and grays. The desk had been changed into something less solid, with a glass tabletop; the lamps had been changed as well.

But there remained the three heads, and—as I learned through the shaking of the ground—Boh was still in residence here.

After a crushing hug from the large baby (who had grown into quite the chubby toddler since I'd last seen him), he led me by the hand out the door and downstairs into the hustle and bustle of a busy Bathhouse.

"Where's Lin?" I asked over the din. Boh pointed, smiling impishly, and that's when I heard the familiar…

"HEY! You there! Yeah you. What's the idea…"

I ran over to her and tackled her from behind. She spun around, her hair rising in the air with her surprise, and then she returned my hug. "Sen!" she laughed. "Sen, long time no see!"

"I know!" I said, grinning up at her. "How've you been?"

"Just great," she replied. "Come on, you're already starting to disappear. I'll tell you over some dumplings, 'kay?"

* * *

I moaned as I skidded across the slick, but quite dry, surface of the train—err, boat station. Bran landed somewhere to my right, on his feet. He sank into a crouch to keep his balance as he slid through some debris, and then he ran over to my side.

"Are you alright?" he breathed, his accent thick in my ear as he rolled me over and helped me sit up. "That was a nasty fall you took. Did you hit your head?"

I grimaced. "No," I said as he brushed some hair out of my eyes. "I'm fine."

"Thank God," he murmured, and then looked up not at the tunnel but at the entryway to the boat station. A shadowy figure stood there, with billowing robes and imposing height. I could see the outline of a katana at his hip, and as lightning flashed outside, his face was illuminated long enough for me to see that it was a young man, maybe in his late twenties, and he was clearly not quite human. His eyes remained bright in the darkness that fell upon the room, catlike in their largeness and luminescent green coloring.

Bran tensed against my side. His hands, on my arm and shoulder, tightened their grip and I winced.

"What do you want, Raiko?"

His lips hadn't moved, like before, but I heard his voice as clearly as if he had spoken aloud.

The man in the doorway tapped the end of his _saya_ on the stone around the doorway. _Clack… Clack… Clack…_ Three times he moved his wrist, moved the scabbard, and three times the sound rang out coldly through the room.

"You have three days, Storm Crow. Be warned."

There was another flash of lightning, and then the spirit was gone.

Bran turned to me, and his expression was unreadable. "Come," he said. "We should get out of here quickly."

"But what about the others?" I demanded, figuring I'd ask him about that entire scene later.

"They'll follow soon enough. But we should get out of the Boat House before the river fills, shouldn't we?" He helped me stand, and then he took my hand. His grip was firm and the warmth that spread from his touch lasted longer than usual. He glanced back at me as I hesitated, and gave me a small smile. "You alright, _Cariad?"_

"Yeah, yeah," I said.

"Good!"

And then we were off.

We ran across the swiftly filling valley, up the slick marble steps and into the Spirit World. We dodged shadowy shapes and threw ourselves along the dimly lit streets towards the looming shape of the bathhouse. As we neared, however, Bran slowed to a near crawl. He hummed to himself and his grip on my hand loosened. Almost instinctively, my fingers squeezed his, unwilling to let go.

Yeah. Like that was going to hide that I liked him. I forced myself to let go of his hand this time.

He didn't look at me, but his small smile grew ever so slightly. "Let's not go through the main entrance," he said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Do you think they'll all like humans as much as Haku and Lin do?"

He had a point. "Lead the way," I said, and he nodded. Tugging me gently along, he walked boldly across the bridge, through the very midst of the spirits, and dodged the greeters and spirit women by hiding behind some bushes. We ran around the side of the bathhouse and down a set of rickety wooden stairs, some broken in places, but managed to avoid any falls or excitement.

When we reached the foot of the first flight of stairs and met with a stone outcropping beneath a kitchen window, Bran paused again. He looked down at me, and then took my hand and lifted it. My eyes widened when I realized I could see through our joined hands and meet his gaze through our interlocked fingers. "Let's get to Kamajii quickly," he said. "From there, we can wait for Haku and Chihiro."

"And get something to eat?" I said hopefully.

"And get something to eat," he agreed, and we set off again.

Soon we reached the boiler room, and Bran helped me leap over the mass of soot balls hard at work. "Kamajii!" Bran called over a loud boiler's hiss. "Kamajii!"

The spider-man turned and peered at us, two wet and nearly transparent human teens. "Ahhhh, hello there!" he said. "And what're your names?"

"I'm Bran," said Bran, "and this is Skylar."

"I see." Kamajii nodded to himself, and then he turned and rummaged around for something. "Food from the Spirit World is what you need," he said, "but I'm afraid all I've got here are some of the soot ball's last meal." He turned and grinned at us winningly.

I laughed, and Bran laughed as well, extending a hand. Luckily, he was still solid enough that the star candies didn't pass through his palm. He popped a few in his mouth, grimacing at the taste, and attempted to hand a couple to me.

"Oh dear." He managed to catch them before they hit the ground, and when he stood I didn't move away fast enough and my hand passed right through his chest. It felt strange, going through someone; even though I couldn't really _feel _anything, I _could_ sense his heart, and his core body heat emanating from him.

He turned to me and, smirking, held one of the candies between his forefinger and thumb. "Open up," he said teasingly.

Mortified, shy, and feeling rather exposed, I opened my mouth and accepted the thing I had wrongly called candy. It was disgusting and tasted of chalk.

"Ugh, what is this?" I forced myself to swallow.

"You probably don't want to know," Bran said, and then held up his hand. "Testing, testing, one, two, three?"

I put my hand against his, and we watched as we both solidified.

"Ahhh, young love," I heard Kamajii sigh to himself, and I blushed. Bran didn't seem to have heard, or at least he had the decency not to show it. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind burst through the heat, stirring my hair and sending some of Kamajii's herbs flying. Immediately, his mood changed from grandfatherly gentleness to flaming ol' geezer. "Watch what you're doing, you insolent dragon!" Kamajii roared as he scrambled to pick them up before they touched the floor.

Haku came in, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Kamajii," he said. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course not," Kamajii grumbled.

Haku turned his dragon eyes to Bran and I. "I see you've already eaten. Good. Lin's taken Chihiro to lunch, so I guess I should show you your rooms while they're busy." He leapt gracefully across the soot balls' work area, and alighted beside Bran. "Follow me," he said, and opened the sliding door the servants used.

As I waited for Bran to crawl through, I heard Haku say, "I'll make sure to buy you some new spices, Kamajii, for you to keep your silence."

"That sounds about right," Kamajii said softly, "but I would like to know what plans you have ready in case _they_ come after her."

"I'll tell you later." Haku looked down and saw me watching, and he frowned. I gave him an innocent smile and he sighed. "You human girls," he said, "sure are…endearing." He nudged me with his toe. "Move along, follow your boyfriend."

Even Haku knew.

"Follow me," Haku said once he'd straightened himself up, and he began leading us toward a nearby elevator. "Your rooms are up on the third highest floor, where only my most trusted friends and enemies are allowed. Chihiro's room will be beside yours, Skylar, and Lin's is on the opposite side of Chihiro's. However, all of our other rooms have been affected in the recent stormy weather, and your room, Skylar, attaches to Bran's via a sliding door. I hope that this doesn't offend you. If I could have given you more modest a setting, I would have done so, but Chihiro's room is small and crowded as it is."

"Why can't she just use your room and save you both some angst?" I asked, and Haku gave me an amused glance.

"That's up to Chihiro to decide, little matchmaker."

I returned his easygoing smile, and enjoyed the feeling of Bran's laughter resounding in his chest and reverberating through mine.

When we arrived at our destination, Haku stopped. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, and then closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. His hair shifted around his face in a nonexistent wind, as if he weren't quite _here_ but not _there, _either, and somehow in-between.

When he opened his eyes, he sighed.

"I'll have to leave you for the night. Chihiro will be up shortly, probably to talk to you, Skylar, and I'll be sure to send up dinner with Lin. You must be starving, or will be soon. I have some pressing business to attend to, and can't stay to show you around any further than your rooms. Speaking of your rooms…" Haku raised his hand and moved it across the hall in a single fluid motion. Two of the doors slid open and lamps turned on. "Yours is on the right, Skylar," he said. "Now, good night." He waved at us, and then the elevator closed behind him and he was gone.

"That was rather strange," Bran said, and then poked his head into one of the doors. "I think I like your room better," he said, and I hurried over to see what he was talking about.

My room was quite the amazing thing. There was a bed, a real bed, with cream colored sheets and a quilt on top of it. The pillows were wonderfully fluffed, and the bed was just at the right height—it wasn't low to the ground like normal beds, but, pressed up against the wall it was about six feet off the floor. Underneath it was a desk, with a lamp and a stack of papers and an array of pens waiting for me to use. There was a dresser close by the loft bed, bringing the desk and bed area a feeling of coziness, and smallness. In the far corner of the room there was a couch, and a two person chair that I recognized as a love seat. There was a small round table between the two, and a bookshelf on the wall opposite.

The small room was more American than Japanese, and smelt of magic. Somehow I knew, although I didn't know how I knew, that it was magic that I smelled in the sweet perfume of the air. There was a balcony, with glass doors so that I could see out at the rain and the river, and for what seemed like leagues across the Spirit World.

"It _is_ nice, isn't it?" I said softly.

"It is," he said, and closed the door to the hall. I went over to another door and opened it, to look into his room.

The room was much larger than mine, and the balcony on his was wider; his bed was King sized rather than Twin, and it was the classic four poster on the floor, with drawers beneath it instead of empty space. There was a writing desk as well, and a wall of bookshelves. There was a couch in the middle of the room, and some chairs, and a coffee table. Yet another room more western styled than I had found in a while.

"I don't know," I said. "Yours is bigger."

"Meh," he said eloquently, and closed the door to his room. "It'll be nice to sleep in the King size bed, but I'm not exactly feeling like heavy sleeping right now. Can I take a nap in your room?"

"Sure." I accepted my backpack from him and dumped it on the floor space beneath the loft bed, by the desk. After kicking off my shoes and taking off my jacket, I climbed up into my new bed and flopped down on it. "Mmm," I moaned under my breath, inhaling the scent of magic and cedar that was sent spiraling upwards around me. "This is so nice."

"I haven't felt a couch this soft in ages," Bran called from the corner of the room where he lay sprawled across the loveseat, his legs kicked over one arm and his head resting on the other. He used his toes to pull off his shoes—they clunked on the floor one after the other, and then his socks followed more quietly.

I rolled over to look at him more easily, and smiled. "Hey, Bran, what were those things in the forest? D'you know?"

"I think they were _tengu,"_ he murmured sleepily. "But I dunno. You should ask Lin or someone. Maybe she's told Chihiro already…" He yawned.

"Hey, Bran?"

"Yeah?"

I hesitated, and then shook my head. "Never mind."

He opened his eyes to gaze at me blearily for a moment or two, and then he yawned again and closed them. Soon I knew by his easy breathing that he was asleep.

I stood and walked over to him, picking up his shoes and socks and bringing them, grimacing, to his room. While there, I saw a note on the top of the blanket on the bed. Curiosity getting the better of me, I glanced at it.

_My Lord,_

_News of your arrival has reached us, and your rooms are prepared, as well as My Lady's. Any further word from you would be welcome, and any other tasks you would delight in us performing will be carried out with our usual devotion. When we see you next, My Lord, we will tell you of a message your father has sent you. May the Western Winds watch over you, My Lord, until your safe return._

_Your Faithful Servants,_

_Fintan, Şule, and Ilmarinen_

I frowned at the paper and then glanced back out at the sleeping form of Bran. His earlier words, his question, rang anew in my ears and I wondered what he might be hiding. There definitely was something more to him, more than his strange complexion, more than his _natural _mystique… He was definitely hiding something more. I decided to ask him when he woke next. For now, let him sleep.

I went over to my desk and sat down, taking up a pencil and beginning to draw, waiting for Chihiro to return.


	8. Q & A

**Chapter Eight**

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

Lin led me upstairs and into a room in which Bran was snoring softly, and Skylar was drawing, hidden away in a corner. She grinned at me as I entered.

"Hey!" she said, hugged me, and then turned to say hello to Lin. "I'm Skylar. I've heard a lot about you."

"Ditto for you," Lin said. "Sen here was telling me all about you over lunch."

"That would be dinner," I told Skylar. "We've got a cart coming up for you and Bran. I figured you guys'd be hungry." I smiled at her as there was a soft ping from the hall.

Lin turned. "Woops, that'd be the food. Hold on a moment, Sen." She excused herself and hurried out, quickly getting into an argument with the frog bearing the meal.

I turned back to Skylar, and noticed her gazing at Bran with a strange look on her face. "What's up?" I asked.

"A bunch of things," she admitted, and gestured for me to join her in the nook under her bed. We sat down cross-legged from each other. I glanced at Bran, and when I looked back at Skylar she scowled. "First, _not_ about Bran, what were those things attacking us?"

"_Tengu,"_ I said. "Mischievous spirits who like to play tricks rather than be malicious. They protect forests and mountains and have canine, human, and avian features that vary depending on what legend you're listening to."

"I see," she said, but I could tell that there was something else bugging her. After waiting patiently for quite a while, I gave her a pointed look and nudged her knee.

"There's something else."

"Yes—I mean…yes." She gazed steadily at the floor between us, and not at the sleeping boy in question. "Chi, do you think that he's completely…normal?"

"He's practically albino, Sky. That's not completely normal."

"Not what I meant," she said. "I meant like… Is he human? You've been around spirits more than me."

I shrugged and said, "I don't know. I've never noticed anything different about him in that way. Maybe it's just love clouding your senses."

"Shhh!" She elbowed me, and I laughed, and we went wrestling across the floor.

Our laughter woke Bran as Lin came in, carrying a try of steaming food. Bran sat up and rubbed his eyes, and when he saw the food jumped up. When Lin saw him move, and her eyes landed on him, her jaw dropped. "You!" she exclaimed.

Bran blinked. "Me?"

"Err, sorry," Lin said slowly. "You looked like someone I know. But I don't think you are. Err. Dinner, anyone?" She quickly set the tray on the table and cupped a hand to her ear. "Woops, I think I hear Mr. Stick-Up-His-Behind calling. Night, Sen, night people!" She departed before I could remark on how strange that was; the door closed quickly behind her.

"What was that about?" I asked, as Skylar muttered, "I wish they'd stop talking without moving their mouths, before I go mad."

I looked at her. "And that?" I asked.

"Well, it's annoying!" she said. "Bran keeps talking to people with his mouth closed and I think I'm going insane."

"None of you are going insane," Bran said. "Now can we please eat? I'm famished."

"Only if we get some answers," Sky said, and asked him to please pass the sushi. With her mouth full, she trained a glare on poor Bran, who smiled back easily in return, his golden eyes glinting. "So, if I'm not going insane, then what's up?"

Bran's smile remained in place. "The ceiling. If you were insane, I'd say something else would have been."

Skylar nearly choked on laughter, and I snickered. "Come on, Bran," I said. "Give us a straight answer."

"I've been keeping a secret from both of you. I'm telepathic," he said. "I can read minds and converse mentally, like the spirits can."

"You're joking," I said, and he shook his head.

"This is why I didn't tell you," he said, looking at Skylar. "You wouldn't have believed me."

"Can you read mine?" I asked without thinking.

"If I felt like invading your privacy, yes," Bran said. "You keep your mind to yourself, so I'd have to break a barrier to get at your thoughts."

Skylar bit her lip. "I don't believe you."

"You're thinking about how you're sick of fish and want tacos."

"I believe you can read minds—thanks for invading my privacy, Bran—but… You're not telling the whole truth."

Bran sighed. "Look," he said. "That's all I'm telling you now. You can take it or leave it… I'm going to my room." He picked up his share of the food. "Night guys."

We watched as he left.

* * *

"Bran, I…err…"

I had pushed his door open just enough to get my head through, and found him standing an inch from my face, apparently about to open the door himself. I blushed.

"Yes, Skylar?"

"I'm sorry."

His expression softened. "I'm sorry too."

"Fine." I took a shaky breath and rubbed my sticky fingers on my jeans. "Can you _please_ tell me something more than lies and half-truths?"

"Sure. Ask a specific question and I'll give you a straight answer."

"The note on your bed—"

"What note?" He sounded genuinely clueless, and I realized that I'd forgotten he had been asleep when I read it and probably hadn't gone over to his bed yet.

"It's on your bed," I said. "I saw it when I put your shoes away."

He stood and padded across to his bed, and I waited patiently as he read it through. When he returned, he held it in one hand and ran his other through his hair, brow furrowing to create the picture of hesitation, puzzlement, and worry. I waited some more.

"It's not for me," he said, "so I don't know why it's in here."

Perplexed, I shrugged. I had been sure… I tried not to appear suspicious, and suggested, "Maybe because we weren't expected, another guest would have stayed there and the note was intended for him. We should probably ask Haku, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah. Think I should go now or tomorrow morning?"

"Let's go now," I said, and made to move to the door to the hallway, but he stopped me with his voice.

"Don't. You're tired."

He hadn't moved his lips again.

"Oh no you…" My eyes suddenly were heavy, and I felt my limbs go limp. Bran smiled at me from where he stood at my side; he put his arm around my shoulder to guide me over to my bed and watched me climb up. Then he tossed my pillow, which I'd earlier been sitting on on the floor, up to me. It landed on my head and I found myself too tired to move it. "What'd you…" I yawned. "…do?"

"Go to sleep, Sky. I'll go give this to Haku and then I'll come right back." He pushed the pillow off my head and chuckled. "Night, Sky."

"You…jerkface…"

I fell asleep.

* * *

Bran stepped into my office, having knocked. "Were you aware that this was in my room?" he asked, and a piece of paper fluttered onto my desk.

I sniffed at the magic that faintly surrounded the fibers, and shook my head. "No, I wasn't," I said truthfully. "Your servants must have bypassed my wards when I remodeled the rooms. They had only a fraction of a second to do so." I fingered the paper. "They're good."

"Of course they are," Bran said and pulled out a chair by the fire. "Skylar found the note. I had to put her to sleep to get up here alone… Stubborn as ever, and much too perceptive for her own good."

"Aren't they always nowadays?" I asked rhetorically, leaning against my desk to read over the note. "You can't keep your secret for much longer with the way things are looking," I said to him. "It seems that the cosmic forces are scheming against your little plan."

"I'll wait for her to remember. Until then, I'm just Bran."

"But what about your kingdom?"

He glanced up at me. "What about it?" he asked. "It's not like it hasn't been run smoothly for the past two decades or so. It's not like a few more weeks, maybe a month at most, will ruin it."

I shrugged. "Up to you." For a moment we were silent. I couldn't resist the temptation, however, and murmured, "Cosmic forces…"

Bran's eyes closed and he let out a sigh that swept through the room, bringing with it the lonesome scent of mountain forests. The fire flared in its place, roaring and leaping out to lie at its master's feet. "Watch the carpet, will you?" I asked, sending some water to protect the rug beneath the flames, which hissed and spat as they returned to their place.

"Sorry," Bran said, but not at all apologetically.

"Right." I gave him a dubious glance. "You should get some rest."

Bran stood. "I get it; you want me out so you can court Chihiro." He winked. "Watch yourself, dragon."

I rolled my eyes and opened the door for him. "A warning from one of the most powerful spirits in existence. I better keep my guard up."

"You better."

We left the room and went to the level the girls were sleeping at; Bran went to his room, closing Skylar's door as he went, while I shot a mental probe into Chihiro's room to make sure that she wasn't in the middle of something. She wasn't, so I figured that it was safe to enter. The door slid open without a single sound, and I found Chihiro faking slumber in her bed, which I discovered she had pushed across the floor from one side of the room to the middle, leaving scrapes on the floor.

"You're not fooling anyone, Chihiro," I said softly.

She sat up and smiled. "We haven't had a chance to talk yet, y'know."

I sat down at the foot of her bed, on the wooden footboard, and shook my head. We hadn't, indeed. There was so much I wanted to say, wanted to ask. But where could I begin?

"How're your parents?"

Chihiro stifled a laugh and gave me an incredulous look. "What a question!"

"I've been waiting six years to get a chance to talk to you," I said with a sheepish smile, "and now I can't think of anything at all to say."

"Well, then we'll just have to do this one step at a time. My mom and dad have been fine. Do you have any parents?"

I blinked at that. What a strange question to—_Oh._ I saw what she was getting at, and a smirk tugged at my lips. She was planning on turning every single one of my questions back on me in some way.

"Not any parents I know of. Have you gotten into any danger while we've been apart?"

Chihiro smiled and adjusted the blankets on her legs. "No. Have you?"

"You have no idea." I held out my hands and willed my thoughts and memories to form images above my fingers. "Yubaba didn't leave without a fight of course, although it was more political than anything. Then there was a skirmish with a very nasty land spirit…"

* * *

_**A/N:** Sorry about that hiatus. Things have been very busy on my end. We have a roadtrip, you see, and lots of other things..._

_Please review. :)  
_


	9. Thunderbird

**_A/N:_** Selena Estella: _I don't know if ReplaceWithSomethingWitty read The Dark is Rising but I did, a very long time ago (think third through fourth grade; I'm a ninth grader now). I'd like to ask why you're wondering? I loved that series._

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Chapter 9: Chapter 9**

Haku had his arms around me, and his breathing was soft and slow in my ear. I'd dreamt about that moment for years, and I almost didn't want to open my eyes and find that it was only another dream. He sensed me waking, or something, and he smiled against my hair. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," I replied, and rolled over to face him. His wild eyes were warm and gentle, and his face, so perfectly thin and chiseled, was soft in the dim light of morning spilling in from the window. "You know," I said after a moment of comfortable silence, "it sounds weird, but I'm almost worried at how easily we're adjusting to…this."

A rumble grew in his chest, a sound that was primal and more than inhuman, a reminder that he was not just a godlike boy but a powerful spirit, a dragon. "Yes," he said, "it is, as you said, 'weird.' But I'd rather not worry too much about it. I'd rather not…"

"Jinx it?"

"Yeah. Jinx it."

I nodded slowly but I still had a nagging feeling in the back of my head. My arm tingled, and I looked down to find that my hair band had slipped up to my elbow when I'd slept and it was cutting into my arm. I took it off and put it around one of the bedposts. As I rubbed some life into my forearm and tried to ease the pins and needles feeling, my brain cleared of morning fog and I frowned. "I don't want to jinx us either," I said, "but something's wrong."

He sat up and I followed. "Why would there be?" he asked. "I would imagine that someone might want us apart, not _together. _But now that my attention is piqued..." Haku took my hand and closed his eyes. "I'll try to find any traces of magic, other than my own, on you."

I sat very, very still and tried to focus on him, and how I felt, trying to see if there was any tangible change in the atmosphere that I could pinpoint when he used magic. I felt nothing as a gentle breeze stirred his hair and whispered around my face. He inhaled deeply and his lips parted to reveal a set of pointed canines. "No," he murmured, "I can't smell—wait." His eyes opened and he pulled my arm toward his face, sniffing the skin that still held the imprint of my hair band.

"It's subtle," he said. "That just means that whoever cast the spell is very, very powerful—or very good at what they do."

I pointed at the hair band with my free hand. "Zeniba made it for me. But I don't think she'd want anything bad to happen to me, and I don't want to think that she'd do something like mess with my emotions!"

He gazed at the hair band with a narrowed gaze. He dropped our hands to my lap. "You know so little about this world and its inhabitants," he said in a voice barely above a hiss. "I'm going to have to have a talk with that witch..."

I hugged him tightly, wrapping my arms around his torso, under his arms, so that I could press my head against his chest. He relaxed after a few moments, and I decided I would switch topics to keep his temper in check. I focused on my breathing, synchronizing it with his. My eyes fluttered shut and I began to relax, listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was faster than mine, fluttering like a bird's wings. Thinking of something, I frowned.

"Were you the one who made Skylar's parents not notice that you're not human?"

"I never used any magic on them. I was too out of sorts."

I glanced at the hair band. "Well then… Forget about it." He made a questioning noise, and I searched for something else to say. "It keeps hitting me, more so now than ever before, that you're _not human._"

"Rightly so," he replied, and kissed my nose. "I'm anything but."

"But when I first came here, you didn't seem so…"

He shrugged. "Dragons are complicated creatures. Six years ago, I had been wandering the Spirit World in my human body for a very long time. When I entered Yubaba's service, I was in my dragon form more often than before, but my magic was suppressed by her control. Ever since you left, I have been switching between forms more often and practicing my magic—and that always leaves a mark on a person, spirit and human alike."

My interest was piqued at that. "So if I practiced magic, I'd change too?"

Haku's eyes flashed and his pupils thinned into slits as he lifted his head and smiled. "Ever so slightly," he murmured. "You wouldn't change, so much as it would add to you. You would bring the scent of magic with you like a perfume, and all those around you would sense it, even if only subconsciously."

His breath across my face held a scent that was strange to me, but enticing as well.

"Either you have really nice toothpaste, or magic tastes like spearmint," I said, and he laughed.

* * *

"Can I open my eyes yet?" I grumbled as Bran opened the door that connected our rooms.

I had woken up nearly an hour before, but my eyes would literally not open. I found that I could move my arms and legs, but my butt was firmly glued to my mattress. It was not fun, and I was going to kill Bran as soon as he let me up and told me what the heck he had done to me.

"Woops."

My eyes snapped open and I sat up and tried to get out of the bed, but discovered that my legs were fast asleep and wouldn't support me. I ground my teeth and tried to use only my hands to move myself to the edge of the bed, but I hesitated when it came to jumping down to the floor.

"Let me help." Bran came over and before I could protest he swung me down from the top bunk and tried to help me stand. My knees collapsed and he caught me before I could hit the ground. "…Alright then." He supported me as best he could and dragged me over to the couch.

"Stoppit!" I hissed. "Bran Kendrick I can walk on my own, thank you very much!"He dumped me unceremoniously onto the couch, and sat down on the table in front of it. I glared at him and kicked him as hard as I could with my half-asleep foot. "You jerkface!"

"I seem to recall you saying that on more than one occasion," he said calmly.

"Bran, I want some serious answers," I snapped. "How can you control me like that?"

Bran leaned against his knees. "I told you. I'm a telepath. I have the full package, y'know."

"Great. Usually when someone says telepath, you just think of mind reading, not control." I crossed my arms and kicked him again. "You jerkface."

He narrowed his eyes. "You can hardly blame me. You're so stubborn you would never have listened to me otherwise." I flushed, and was silent. He waited patiently, but then prodded, "Where's the venom?"

"You're right," I said with a sigh. "I'm stubborn as a mule… I don't know why I'm so angry at you… I don't know what's wrong with me."

Bran shook his head and moved to the couch so he could hug me. "Nothing's wrong with you, Skylar_,_" he said firmly. "You've got a temper. That's just you."

I rolled my eyes. "Right… But _we've_ never fought: you, me, or Chihiro. Not with each other."

"It's natural," he said.

_"Riiiight."_

Sensing that I still didn't believe his weak excuse, he elbowed me in the ribs. "Seriously, Sky," he said. "Just tell me what not to do, and I'll try not to do it."

"No controlling," I said flatly. "No reading my mind. And no lying. Now—why'd you have to see Haku alone?"

He hesitated. "For the first two, alright, I'll try. For that last…I can't promise you anything, _Cariad—"_

"Why not?" I asked, matching my tone for his soft one. "What are you hiding that's so dangerous I can't know? Is that why you won't give me straight answers?"

"Do you feel like breakfast?"

"Bran!"

His eyes flashed. He bit his lip. "If I told you then it what I'm hiding wouldn't be hidden, would it?" He laughed softly. "But I can hear that you have one last question. What is it?"

"Have you read my thoughts often in the past…?"

If he had heard any of the things I'd ever thought about him, if I'd been too loud with my feelings… If he had ever heard or sensed that, I'd die of embarrassment.

Bran tensed ever so slightly, and then his touch and his warmth and his companionable weight disappeared. He stood and moved away, keeping his back to me. "Yes," he said flatly. "Never truly on purpose, but yes."

I felt my face flush and looked away. Was I ready to be frank with him about—everything?

Nonononono.

Bran coughed lightly to disguise a laugh. "How do you feel about breakfast?"

I blinked in surprise. "Oh yeah. It's morning… It's so quiet, you'd think people would be up by now."

"Spirits sleep in the daytime," Bran reminded me. "Which brings up the question of whether or not any food will be ready."

"I think you're underestimating the spirits' hospitality," Chihiro said from the doorway. She and Haku both were laden with food, the likes of which I had never seen. There was indeed no way that it was physically possible for Chi to carry that much food, and I suspected that the smiling dragon had something to do with that.

I got up to help her, and we set the food on the table—and when that proved not to be enough space, Haku made another table appear out of nowhere and set his tray down on it.

"Enjoy yourselves," he said warmly. "I apologize, but I have to go check up on last night's business. Day is usually when I get my paperwork done."

Chihiro smiled at him winningly. "Can I take them down to the gardens after breakfast?" she asked sweetly. He put his hand on her shoulder and his expression melted under her gaze.

"Of course," he said. "This business, and all that comes with it, is just as much yours as it is mine." He leaned down and kissed her chastely before straightening back up and giving us a polite, happy smile that revealed pearly white teeth. "I'll be seeing you later. If you need anything, just ask."

He disappeared into thin air.

"It's a wonder they even have doors," I said, and Bran laughed.

* * *

"It's beautiful, Chi!" Skylar said happily, hugging me spontaneously before spinning away and landing in the grass. Her body hit it not nearly as hard as it would have in the Human World, and she grinned. "This place is so gorgeous!"

Bran was perched on the back of a nearby bench, his feet bare and dangling into the air. He had his arms behind his head and a peaceful smile on his face. I in turn was sitting in the grass beneath a rosebush, inhaling their sweet fragrances; the blossoms were as big as my face, and the petals were velvety soft. They were perfect.

I cupped one in my hand and pressed my nose into it. "Mmm…"

"Achoo!" Skylar was thrown over by her own sneeze, and we laughed at her. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "What're you laughing at?" she grumbled.

"You," Bran said, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes and tossed a rock at him, which he caught and threw at her rump good naturedly.

"Glad to see you two're feeling better," I said.

"Yeah," Bran said, but Skylar didn't seem so happy. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked up at the sky to avoid me.

"Do they have birds here, Chihiro?" Sky asked suddenly. I didn't pay attention, figuring that she was just trying to change the subject. "…Chihiro? I'm seriously wondering."

I glanced at where she was pointing, racking my mind for any instance where I had seen a bird in the Spirit World. "You know, I don't think they do," I said, and bit my lip. There was a dark figure in the sky that was moving like a bird, but was bigger than any bird I had ever seen. "Maybe it's Yubaba…?"

Bran straightened up and put his hands on the back of the bench, drawing his feet up closer to him, ready to jump down off of his perch. His gaze was anxious and uneasy as he looked up at the approaching form. "Guys, get inside," he said tersely. "Now!"

Without hesitation I scrambled up and ran towards the bridge. Skylar was slower, but after a glare from Bran she followed me. We stopped in the middle of the bridge, our bare feet dancing on the warm, dark wood as we looked up at the sky.

It wasn't Yubaba, nor was it the Yu-bird. It wasn't even another dragon. It certainly wasn't any bird I had ever seen before. I still couldn't see it clearly, but I could tell that much.

"Where's Bran?" Skylar asked suddenly, her voice adopting a worried edge. "Didn't he follow us?"

"Uhhh…"

"Bran, you idiot!"

Skylar made to run back where we'd come, but I grabbed her arm. "Come on, we have to get to Haku."

"But what about Bran?"

"We can do more help for Bran if we find Haku ASAP!" I tugged on her arm again, and she stumbled after me—but then there was an ungodly scream from the heavens and the sky began to darken. There was a flash of lightning from out of nowhere, connecting with the ground on the other side of the bridge.

Skylar moved of her own accord and bolted for the bathhouse side of the bridge, and I followed in close pursuit.

Haku met us in the doorway, his towering figure imposing and dark. His face showed that he was enraged, and a snarl was building in his chest. He pushed us behind him. "Stay behind this line, and don't step out of the building," he commanded. "You will be safe inside, but I can't guarantee anything outside."

"What is that thing?" I asked, and then shouted in pain and clamped my hands over my ears as the monstrous creature let out another earth shattering wail.

"It's a Thunderbird," Haku said. "They're rogue embodiments of thunder and lightning and anger. They aren't spirits, just corporeal forms of storms. And they're not nice."

"What's one doing here?" Skylar shouted over the noise of the bird's wings _thwump-thwumping_ above us. A second later after the mighty down strokes, a furious gale whipped up about our heads; I grabbed onto Haku's stiff arm to keep from being thrown off my feet. He was immovable.

"I thought they were only in Navajo folklore, and they're on the other side of the Human World!" Skylar exclaimed.

"The Spirit World is much different than what you're accustomed to, little ones," Haku said. "Now, I believe it's my job to get rid of this interruption before my sleeping guests are disturbed. Excuse me." His muscles bunched, and then he sprang into the air, his body shifting into his dragon shape in a matter of a heartbeat.

"Where _is_ Bran?" I heard Skylar ask the air furiously. Her eyes were dark with fear for him as she searched the horizon for any sign of him.

"I have no idea—oh my God, Haku!"

The Thunderbird had opened its beak to reveal that the silver trappings weren't all for show; it had teeth, serrated, gruesome edges to its beak that would cause terrible damage. And with that deadly weapon it was now snapping at the tiny sliver of silver that was Haku. Not to mention that its gargantuan wings were causing heavy winds that could knock Haku right out of the air if one of the currents caught him wrong.

I gripped Sky's arm in fright as I watched, unable to rip my eyes away from the fight going on above me. Haku was roaring distantly, and every now and then he'd dart out of sight behind the hulking form of the Thunderbird and do something that caused the Thunderbird to bellow again. I had no idea in whose favor the battle was going, or even what was truly going on. And that scared me out of my mind.

"Sen!"

Lin appeared behind us, her eyes narrow. "What are you doing out here?" she demanded. "It's not safe!"

"But Haku—"

"Haku can take care of himself!" Lin said forcefully. "Come inside!"

"But Bran!" Skylar shouted, and her voice was devastated. "He's still out there!"

Lin came to the doorway and looked out into the storm, and she gave a frustrated sigh. "Bran can take care of himself, now get inside before I drag you there! There's nothing you can—"

Skylar's eyes became unfocused, staring in horror at something behind our backs, outside. I followed her gaze to see a familiar teenage boy in the distance, running towards the cliff… "_Bran!"_ Skylar's horrified shout cut through the air like a knife, splitting my eardrums and my heart. Lin clamped her hand down on Sky's shoulder to keep my friend from running out after Bran. "What the hell's he doing?" Skylar shrieked, fighting Lin with every ounce of her strength. "He's going to freaking die!"

"Sen, help me!"

I grabbed Skylar's arms and turned her bodily towards the inside of the bathhouse. Tears were filling my vision. "Skylar, get inside," I said miserably, and waited for another of the Thunderbird's raucous cries to fade. "The best thing we can do right now is stay safe, so the guys don't worry about us…"

"But Bran's only human!" Skylar insisted frantically. "He's going to die!"

Lin managed to get us deep inside the bathhouse, and she forced Skylar to sit down. I sat down beside my friend and put my arm around her shoulders, which were shaking softly. Lin cursed and began pacing, wringing her hands. "What's that spell, what's that spell?" she was muttering to herself. Suddenly she stopped and snapped her fingers. "I'll be right back. You two stay here."

Lin departed, and I continued to rub Skylar's back. She leaned against me. "Chihiro, Bran keeps lying to us," she muttered vehemently. "And I just want him to tell me and he won't. And if he dies out there then I'll never know and…" Her eyes overflowed and she buried her face in her knees.

"There-there," a smooth voice said from behind us. "Don't cry."

I looked up to find Haku standing in the doorway. He had one arm slung around Bran's shoulders, and he was covered in ash and soot. He winced as he and Bran began limping over.

I shot up. "Haku!" He collapsed into my arms when Bran let go of him; then it was Bran's turn to collapse, but Sky wasn't quick enough and he hit the floor with a heavy thud. His head smacked against the wood and he groaned. I looked at Haku, who was gritting his teeth and grimacing against my shoulder, and then I glanced back at Bran who had apparently passed out stone cold on the floor.

"What happened to you two?" I demanded, sliding along a nearby wall to the floor where I cradled Haku against me, brushing his hair away from his face and trying to assess the situation. I couldn't think of anything I could do except wait for Lin to get back.

"It doesn't matter," Haku groaned, and as I prodded a ragged-edged cut along his neck he hissed. "The Thunderbird has been taken care of, you girls are safe…"

Lin came in, a shallow pan balanced on one hand and a pitcher of water in the other. She stopped in the door. "Over already? Fine." She went over to Skylar, who was kneeling beside Bran with a helpless look on her face. Lin's usual hawkish expression softened and she set down the pan and the pitcher before stooping down beside my friend. "He'll be alright," Lin said. "He's a tough guy."

"He's a stupid idiot jerkface," Skylar hiccupped.

Lin grinned. "That he may be," she said, "but he's still tough. I bet that skull of his is thick enough to've protected him from whatever that demon threw at him. He'll be fine, he just needs his rest. Come on, you get his arms, I'll get his legs, and we can go put him in the room."

It took Sky a moment to comprehend what had just happened, but then she stood, numbly, and hooked her arms through Bran's and lifted him up. His head lolled to the side, and his eyes fluttered in his unconscious state. As his clothes shifted, I caught a glimpse of something on his hip and side under his shirt. At first I thought it was a wound, but I couldn't get a good enough look to see.

"Take care of him, Lin," I called after them worriedly as the door closed, and then turned my attention to look down at Haku, who seemed half-conscious. "Do you need anything? Is there something I can do?" I asked, already reaching for the pitcher of water to wet my sleeve so I could clean Haku's deep wounds.

"No… Wait." He caught my hand in his spidery fingers and he opened his eyes to half-mast. "I used too much magic… I need energy to heal myself. Would it be—"

"Use mine," I said, guessing at his thoughts. "I don't care if it knocks me out. You look like crap, you know, and you need it more than I do."

He was too weak to be chivalrous, and he brought my hand to his lips. "Thank you," he whispered, and I felt my energy began to flow out of my body. My eyes closed with fatigue, and Haku sighed. His head slipped from my shoulder and he pushed himself up on shaky arms. "Just enough to get upstairs," he groaned, still holding my hand, and then I felt a sharp sucking in the air.

When I opened my eyes, we were suspended five inches above the canopy bed that Haku had put me on when we had zoomed into the Spirit World; I assumed it was his room, and now that I had a chance to get a better look at it I realized it undoubtedly was. As we fell with an _oomf!_ to the bed, I was allowed a good look around. The sheets were either silk or satin, and deep blue. The pillows were deliciously soft and the cases were so smooth beneath my cheek it was like water. There was a pool in the corner of the room that I couldn't see the bottom of, since the stones that made up the basin were black obsidian.

There was a desk in here as well, and the rest of the room was dominated by bookshelves. There was another doorway, open to reveal a small sitting room with plenty of couches and carpets and things for company and lounging.

"If you want you can go back to your room," Haku mumbled. He had landed with his face in the pillow, and he hadn't moved to get up. I felt just as exhausted as he looked, and didn't think I had the strength to walk very far.

"Nah," I yawned, cuddling up to his side and watching sleepily as one of the cuts on his knuckles began to stitch itself up. "I think I'll pass out here…"

He grunted, and then that was that.


	10. Memories

**Chapter Ten:**

**Chapter Ten: Chapter Ten

* * *

**

Lin used her foot to open the door to Bran's room and she led the way into it, with me stumbling along rather detachedly behind her. Bran's dead-weight was dragging on my arms, and if I was afraid that if I thought about it too much my muscles would give up and I'd drop him. So instead I focused on the floor passing beneath my shoes and let Lin lead the way. She carefully set Bran's feet on the foot of the bed, and helped guide my hands to lower his torso and upper body to the mattress. Then she sat me down on the foot of the bed, and set to work on Bran.

I didn't know what came over me. One minute I was watching through misty eyes as Lin peeled back Bran's shirt, and the next minute I was staring up at the ceiling as it faded to black. I knew that I had blacked out, but at the same time I knew that I was awake. Something had gone wrong in the midst of all this and I was stuck somewhere between consciousness and dreaming—remembering, it seemed, but it couldn't be. Because I had never been in a castle, I had never been so tall, and Bran had surely never been a king.

I had just walked into a strange room; it was draped with rich fabrics in shades of burgundy and crimson, and there was a fire roaring in the huge hearth at the end of the room. The curtains were drawn across the window, but bleak winter light still managed to cut through into the room, illuminating Bran's white hair and casting half of his face in sharp, bright contrast with the shadows that surrounded him. I could see that he was wearing a high-collared shirt of dark red, with gold embroidery. A cloak of rich furs was draped across one shoulder and trailed behind him as he turned to smile at me. Somehow, he was different in his physical appearance—was he taller? Thinner?—than the Bran I knew; at the same time, this look suited him better.

He held out his arms as if to encompass the entire world. "This is all yours, my darling."

"You even bought a matching outfit," I heard my voice say, but at the same time it wasn't my voice. It was…older, I thought, and lower. "Does this mean that _you_ are mine, too?"

His smile was blinding, and he crossed the room to sweep me into his arms. As he spun me out of the doorway so that he could close the door, I caught my reflection in a mirror. The face was mine, but the person wasn't me. A name was spoken, and the memory shattered.

* * *

"She's waking up, I think." It was a crisp voice, sort-of familiar but not very. Lin.

"How long has she been out?" That was Chihiro, although she sounded like she'd just woken up with a hangover.

"About an hour. Not too long, really." Lin again. "She blacked out as soon as I made her sit down. I don't know what happened. Is she sick at the sight of blood or something?"

"Nope. Her parents are doctors, and she's gotten into plenty of bloody scrapes before."

"Then I really have no idea why she passed out—Skylar, don't sit up. Just open your eyes."

I opened my eyes as instructed and found myself looking up at two worried faces: Lin and Chihiro. I was in my room, on the loveseat, with my hands folded neatly on my stomach and a pillow supporting my head, which was aching. Badly. Like it had been in an accident involving sledgehammers and raging bulls. I put a hand over my eyes and pressed down as hard as I could, because _God,_ the light hurt.

"What happened?" Chihiro asked, concerned. She had circles under her eyes, and her brow was furrowed with worry. I couldn't see clearly through my fingers, but she looked pale and gaunt. Lin was standing off to the side, her hands on her hips and her weight on one foot.

I closed my eyes again and rubbed my face. "I don't know why I went unconscious, if that's what you're asking. But I had the weirdest dream… Which is weird, 'cause I don't think you usually dream when you pass out, do you? Can I sit up, please? I'm getting claustrophobic."

Chihiro helped me straighten up and Lin handed me a cup of tea with the order to drink it up. I took a deep gulp, because it wasn't that hot, and the headache that had been building up in my head dissipated. "Tell me about it," Lin said.

I blushed and looked at Chihiro. Her expression softened. "Lin won't tell anyone, Bran's out stone cold, and Haku's not here. Just tell us."

"It's just a dream, it's not important," I muttered.

"But in the Spirit World, dreams can be _very_ important," Lin said. "Just tell us. We can laugh it off later."

I looked down at the cup of tea and drew my knees up close to me. "Fine… I was in a castle or something, and there was this room… And Bran was there, but it was like—he was older, or something. Different. He was dressed weird, too, like he was right out of _Lord of the Rings_ or something. And he called me…something, a different name. There was a mirror, and when I looked in it, it was my face, but at the same time it wasn't. I don't know. It was weird."

Lin's brow furrowed. "What's _Lord of the Rings?"_

"She means like a medieval king, with furs and cloaks and fancy clothes."

Lin nodded. "Alright then. That dream _was_ a bit strange, but still important."

I looked at her skeptically and then at Chihiro. "Do you have any idea…?" I asked, but she shook her head. I turned back to Lin with one eyebrow cocked. "Okay, what about it?"

She clasped her hands. "I really shouldn't be saying this," she said nervously, "but I think you need to know. Bran's an idiot… You're not Skylar. I mean, you are—but… Bran is older than he looks, and you are too. Ask him for the rest. He'll kill me for telling you that much."

I nearly threw the teacup at her in frustration. Instead, I shoved it at Chihiro and pushed myself up. "I'm tired of this," I said angrily. "As soon as he wakes up I am going to force the truth from him."

"But—" Lin protested.

Chihiro held her back with an outstretched hand. "Look," I heard Chi said as I crossed the room to Bran's door. "As long as they're occupied, Bran can't kill you. Now, I'd like some answers for myself…"

I closed the door behind me.

Bran's room was dark. No lamps were lit, and it was dark outside; still, there was enough light for me to see his face. He was lying on his bed bare-chested, with bandages wrapped all around his lower torso and forearms. His head had lolled to the side and his lips were parted in his slumber. I felt my face fall when I saw him: he looked so peaceful, so innocent, so like a child as he slept… I bit my lip and sat down on the floor by his bed. I had no idea what had happened to him, or how long it might be before he woke up, although it probably wouldn't be for a long time. I leaned against the mattress and put my arm on top to try and get comfortable. I accidentally brushed his shoulder, and a jolt went through my arm.

That dream—or memory—I had… It had felt so nice to be held by him. And the few times that he had held me, or gotten close enough to touch me, in real life, it had felt the same. So nice, so wonderful… But the added guilt and adrenaline rush from embarrassment over a hidden crush had given the sensation a bitter edge. I wished things could be like that dream. Unabashed, open affection.

It seemed like years before he finally began to stir. My stomach was growling and I was very sleepy, worn out from all the adrenaline and anger I had felt. His breath on my fingers suddenly paused, and then he exhaled heavily and his shoulder bumped into my hand. I couldn't really move my arm, since it was fast asleep and hurt to even wiggle my fingers; I felt him take my hand, and I felt the back of it brush against some patch of warm, smooth skin. I kept my eyes closed, trying not to think of his lips or cheek.

"Glad you're awake," I said. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Think so."

"Good." I forced myself to sit up and he helped me onto the mattress beside him. He leaned on his elbow and regarded me solemnly, not smiling. He knew I was frustrated about something, and was waiting for me to say what it was. Knowing he was expecting this, I tried to keep myself from looking away from his gold eyes. "Just after we brought you up here, I passed out," I began hesitantly. "And I had a dream. Lin said something that makes me think it was a memory, and from pretty much everything about you and what's happened lately, I think that's not as inconceivable as it seems."

He was the one who broke eye contact first. He closed his eyes and turned his head away, a grimace crossing his face for a moment before he relaxed again. He looked down at his hands. "What did she say exactly?"

"She said that you're much older than you look, and so am I." I paused. "I've been harboring this theory that you're not human. And I think that that's part of what you're not telling me. And if my dream really was a memory, or something, then that means you're some _important_ not-human, which means that it could be dangerous for you or me or whatever. But I have no idea about myself…" He was silent for a while, and my motor mouth kicked in to fill the air. "I'm not angry anymore. I mean, I was, when Lin told me. But right now I just want an explanation. Please?"

He exhaled slowly, and I sighed.

"I'm a very powerful spirit," he said suddenly, still not looking at me but at the forearm he was leaning on. "And there are many people who want me dead."

It was my turn to be silent. I hadn't expected him to tell me anything at all, and certainly not the truth. "What made you stop the charade?" I asked quietly.

"Keeping secrets from you is hard work and I'm too tired for it. My head hurts too much to keep it up much longer." He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "You deserve to know, anyway. I shouldn't have hid it from you..."

I debated squeezing his hand, but decided not to. I dug my fingers into the bedsheet. "Thanks, Bran."

"As for the memory or dream, I have no idea what it was so I can't explain it for you."

I bit my lip. "I don't know how to explain it," I said awkwardly. "Could you…" I gestured at my head helplessly.

He glanced at me sharply. "Are you giving me permission?" he asked, and his voice was both surprised and angry at the same time. I flinched but nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I _need_ answers."

"Alright then." He chewed his lip for a moment, and then he gave me a testy look. "I could wipe your memory too," he said warningly. "You would never know that you had a dream, period. I could pay Lin and Chihiro not to tell you."

I looked him square in the eye, though inside I was writhing. "I trust you. Despite everything—I still trust you." And I loved him, too.

He nodded grimly, didn't comment on my last miserable thought, and told me to close my eyes and remember the memory. I did as he had instructed, and suddenly I had a strange sense of vertigo. All at once, the scene began running through my mind. It was less intense than before, as if I were viewing it from outside my body and not from inside, like last time. I watched as this woman who was both me and not me interacted with this Bran, and I felt my gut twist. I watched in shock as he said the name _Säde _as if it were the most important thing he'd ever said, and then he—

Abruptly, the memory ended. Bran was slowly sitting up, seemingly in pain; he collapsed against the headboard gasping for breath. Even though he appeared to be struggling to keep conscious, there was a smile on his face. "You're remembering," he said in a choked voice. "You're finally remembering…"

"Remembering what?" I asked desperately.

He took a breath and passed a hand over his eyes. "It's a long story," he said, and looked back at me. He didn't seem to be able to stop smiling when he looked at me. While flattered, I was a bit concerned. "You are more than half spirit, Skylar," he said. "Not quite human. Your mother was a beautiful girl from a remote village, and she wasn't quite human either. Your father was the spirit of a local forest."

"But I've got parents," I said. "Two very human parents. And I've lived in the Human World all my life."

He nodded. "Those aren't your parents though. At least, not biologically. You had a sister, you know; they're technically your great-great-great niece and nephew-in-law, with a couple more _greats_ tacked on. Their daughter died a few hours after birth, but they weren't told, and a spirit snuck you in and replaced you."

"How is that ethical?" I gasped.

"It's not," he said, and he looked disgusted and sad. "I had no part of that."

I blinked at him slowly. "And… Alright. Moving on." I shook my head. "How am I just barely fourteen?"

"I'm getting there. To be simple…we met, fell in love…and you had an admirer who wasn't happy with that. He kidnapped you and cast a spell on you that kept you in suspended animation for a long, long time. I finally found him about twenty years ago and we had a bit of a showdown. Burned down an entire forest before I finally managed to pin him down and forced him to bring you out of suspended animation. Unfortunately, before I could find you he had cast another spell and sent you back to the age of a newborn. He gave you to a servant of his, a water spirit in the Human World, who performed the switch—by a stroke of luck, the spirit owed me a debt and was kind enough to switch you with your own relative. Years later, the spirit told me where you were, and I went to America to find you."

"But I'd moved by then, hadn't I?" I murmured. "So then you found out where we'd moved to and tracked me down, enrolled in the high school… You didn't really have any parents there, so that's why there weren't any photos and they were always away on business."

He nodded. "Yes. And that's why you're only fourteen and still aging, and why you're still the same girl that I loved centuries ago."

"But I'm not," I said. "I have no memories of then at all… And if I'm the same—" My voice suddenly failed me, and I looked down at my hands to collect myself. "If I'm the same girl you loved, why Kimiko?" I whispered harshly.

He inhaled sharply. "You're right," he said. "I spoke too soon."

I waited for him, and he took his time. He looked pained when he spoke next.

"When I saw that you didn't remember me at all, and that you had changed—the different experiences, the different upbringing, the bullying had indeed changed you—I began to despair. After so many years, you were right in front of me, but you hardly spared me a glance. I was longing for you, but you were unattainable. Many had told me that I should have moved on years ago. I had never even entertained that thought until then. That was what Kimiko was about, trying to move on. But what I felt with her, no matter how much I tried to make it so, could ever encompass a spark of what I felt…still feel for you."

"Really," I said flatly.

"Yes!" He leaned forward and then wheezed, clutching his chest. I moved closer and helped him lie down again; he grabbed my hand before I could move back to my spot at the foot of the bed. "I told you I was going to 'make my move' on Kimiko before we left, remember? I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to."

"Because you felt guilty."

He closed his eyes and his jaw clenched; the muscles under his skin flexed in either anger or in an effort to hold back tears-I couldn't tell. His head turned away from me. "No," he said, and I could hear that he was tortured. "I felt guilty, yes…but that was because I was an ass and didn't deserve you, yet I still love you… Because I'm still the world's biggest git, yet you still love me. Do you?" He glanced at me again. "Love me, I mean?"

I sighed. "If you mean, would I do anything for you because you're my best friend, that love? Yes. If you mean, would I marry you? I don't know. You've kept so many secrets… I might not have believed you before now, but… You're so stupid sometimes, Bran. Really…"

"While I don't disagree," he said, "you had something else to add?"

I gazed at where he still kept a loose grip on my wrist, and I tried to convince myself that I didn't have to resist the urge to hold his hand. I still couldn't bring myself to do that. "If you mean, would I let you kiss me? Let you hold me, and so on…? I would."

"Without reading your mind, even, I knew you wanted that. So why do you hesitate now?" he asked, and tapped my wrist. I bit my lip; minutes passed. "Go ahead," he urged gently. "It's okay if you don't, little one."

I ignored his hand and did the thing I'd been waiting years to do.

I kissed him.

Like that, my brain imploded. In a single moment, I knew exactly who I was and had been, I knew him, every inch of him, and I remembered everything.

Then, for what seemed like the millionth time in the past two days, I blacked out. Nothing happened while I was unconscious. When I woke, everything was exactly as I had left it: the doors were closed, the sky was dark, the bed was warm, and Bran was dozing lightly at my side, one bandaged arm draped heavily over my waist and his head nestled against his own shoulder. The only contact he had with me was the hand on my waist as though, while he needed the touch, he was afraid of anything else being too much.

He woke as I stirred and carefully moved closer to him. He seemed surprised, but he pulled me into a tight hug and rubbed my back with one hand.

"I remembered everything for a moment, and now I can't even remember your real name."

"That is _probably_ because I have too many," he complained. "Most call me 'Lord Ellil Tane Vesta of Wind and Flame,' but that's a bit of a mouthful. My mother was Lady Ceridwen Brân, so I go by Bran sometimes, as I did in the Human World. You used to call me Tane, but you've known me by Bran. For all intents and purposes, you should call me that. Unless you like my full title better."

"Tane's good," I said. "But I know Bran… Who exactly are you? If you're a Lord—did you win the title? Or is there some royal lineage here?"

"Here's the introduction I usually tell people I want to impress." He cleared his throat, and when he spoke next it was in an icy, feral voice that rattled my very bones, "I am Lord Ellil Tane Vesta of Wind and Flame. I have walked both Spirit and Human Worlds, and I have crossed the divide countless times over. I am the seventh most powerful being in this World, and I am the seventh son of the Master Spirit, Raijin by the Lady Ceridwen Brân, whose name I sometimes take. I am known by many other names, by many faces."

I shivered appreciatively. "Impressive indeed," I said.

"Yeah," he said in his normal voice. "But to answer your question—although as a son of Master Raijin, I automatically have the title of lord, I did have to win it. This was because my mother wasn't fully Spirit, so…"

"She was…" I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to pry open the vault of memories from my past. I knew where they were now, dusty and faded in the back of my mind, but accessing them was still hard. "She was…distantly human, but…not much. But Spirits hate even the slightest trace of human, so that's why your father had to protect you so much, and why you had to prove yourself, while your half-siblings didn't."

He nodded, and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "Spot on."

"I don't really have any more questions," I said. "But—I don't know. Something is bothering me."

"I know," he said, and guided me closer so that he could brush his lips along my cheek. "Do you want to go out and assure the others that you haven't killed me?"

"No," I said truthfully. "I want to stay with you forever."

"We can do that at home," he said, still kissing my face.

My heart tightened at the thought of home. _Our_ home. I couldn't remember it well, but I remembered that I had loved it. "When can we leave?"

"I'll as the River about that. I do think he'd like to take Chihiro somewhere a bit more protected, especially after that Thunderbird… I would expect we'll be at my place in a few days. Not over a week." He paused. "What are you giggling at?"

"You sound so silly." When he seemed bewildered, I felt urged to explain. "You talk in-between old fashioned and formal, and modern and…me. It's awkward."

He rolled his eyes and poked me in the ribs. I let out a girlish squeal, and his face lit up. "You're ticklish in the same spots," he said gleefully. "Oh, this will be _fun."_ I smacked his hand away and rolled out of the bed. He smirked and looked up at me impishly. "I really do think that Chihiro would like some reassurance that we're alive, though."

"Alright," I sighed. "But can you stand?"

"I can try," he said.

I offered him my hand. He took it and leaned heavily against me as he stood; he waved a hand in the direction of a candle and it burst into flame.

"You look like you got eaten," was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw him in full light. There were jagged wounds peeking out from beneath the bandages on his chest, along with lightning-bolt shaped burns. He had a deep cut scabbing along his hairline. Aside from his wounds, there were many strange markings on his skin that I had never seen before—not that I had ever seen him shirtless before in the first place. Or, well, I had. Many times. But not that I could remember.

All along his right hip and his right side was what looked like a tattoo, but it wasn't something anyone human could have made. Strange designs and images were hidden in the intricate artwork. But strangest, and scariest of all, were the burns that snaked their way up his arms. They wrapped around his forearms, both of them, and ended around his neck; the burns weren't fresh, but they were still gruesome. They weren't something that rang a bell in my mind, so I assumed that he must have gotten them after I had been kidnapped.

"I'll explain those later," he said, following my gaze to his torso. "For now, let's go?"

"Alright," I said dubiously, and opened the door.


	11. Beginnings

**_A/N:_**_ My Beta's traveling and has limited internet access, so I'm posting without her guidance. Uh oh. ;)_

**Chapter Eleven**

**Chapter Eleven: Chapter Eleven**

**

* * *

**

I looked up at the door to Bran's room for the thousandth time. I'd heard raised voices a couple of times, but nothing much else. Frankly, I'd been more afraid of them jumping one another than them killing each other. With all the UST in that room, it was possible.

"You're alive!" I proclaimed when the door opened to reveal Bran leaning lightly on Skylar's shoulder. Skylar didn't look any different, but Bran did; he was taller, leaner, and there was something in his face that was less human than before. There was also the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and that he looked like he had been in and out of a blender with a flamethrower attached.

Skylar smiled thinly. "Yeah, barely."

I blinked and exchanged a look with Lin. She shrugged. "So how much do you know?" I asked Skylar.

"This guy is some big ass Lord," she said, jerking her thumb at Bran. "He's told us more lies than there are stars in the sky, and I'm his long lost lover from centuries ago who got kidnapped and got sent back to infancy. Did I mention that this guy's an idiot and a liar? Because he is."

Bran winced dramatically. "Yes, I am."

I stared at them. "Wow. And how much do you remember of your…past?"

"Nothing," she said. "There was a moment when I remembered all of it, like a big bang, and then I passed out—" She saw my slight eye roll and nodded, rolling her eyes as well. "—Yes, I passed out _again_. I think we need to get my head checked out. But now I can sort of remember things, _sort of_, if I really think _really _hard about it."

"Too much trouble," I said.

She grinned. "Yeah… Where's Lin?"

"She ran as fast as she could." I laughed. "Something about saving her hide." Skylar laughed as well, and her smile after that was brilliant. Bran squeezed her shoulder and pressed a kiss into her hair, muttering something I couldn't hear. She nodded and told him, "Go ahead. The sooner, the better."

"Alright." He turned to where I was watching, my eyebrows raised high. "I have to go speak with your dragon, Chi, and hunt down your friend. Keep this dork out of trouble for me, alright?"

"I think I should tell Haku that, too, but about you," I retorted. "Dork."

He chuckled and disappeared.

I turned to Skylar and saw her looking at her hands with a frown. I blinked. "You okay?" I asked her, and she shrugged, coming to sit down on the two-person seat beside me. "What's wrong?"

"It's too fast," she said. After a long pause, she continued. "I've been dreaming of this—maybe remembering, I don't know—for ages. About him holding me. Kissing me… And then all of a sudden, I'm his _wife._ Do you _know_ what that _means?"_

I felt a blush rising in my face at the thought. "That is fast, yes," I agreed sheepishly. "So? Don't go that far that fast. Tell him."

"I will," she said quietly. "I want him to make me… I want him to make me love him all over again. Here and now."

She continued cracking her knuckles and twisting her fingers, and I knew she was still nervous. And then something dawned on me, and I hugged her. "You're afraid that you might not like him in the end," I said.

"I'm afraid that I've changed too much," she whispered. "I was brought up differently. I'm a different person. I'm not the girl he fell in love with. I'm not afraid I'm not going to love him—I'm afraid he's not going to love _me_."

* * *

Bran appeared in my bedroom half-dressed, his hair tousled, and the pheromones rolling off of him like perfume. A very bitter perfume. I groaned. "You are killing my sense of smell," I spat. "What do you want?"

"That's no way to talk to a lord," he said blithely. "But, Dragon, I want to know if you'd allow me to take your little one to my home for a while. I know that Zeniba and the Council are supposed to be coming soon; Chihiro would love to see Zeniba, I know, but think about it. With the Council and chief negotiator around… They already sent a Thunderbird. What's next?"

"I see what you mean," I said, and passed a hand over my face. "But I'm worried about Chihiro around you. You have many enemies."

"So do you," he pointed out.

"Yes, but when she's around me I know what to protect her from. I know how to keep her safe."

"She'll be as safe around me as she would be around you," he said. "She'll also have better food service."

It took me a few seconds to rationalize it all in my head. I knew he was right in the fact that she would be safe, but there was still something that was holding me back. I wished I had someone I could trust to protect her. Someone ruthless and highly skilled, but someone close to her. I had just the person.

"You can leave tomorrow afternoon by train, but take Lin with you," I said. "Have her be Chihiro's unofficial bodyguard."

He snorted. "You really are merciless, Dragon."

I grinned, revealing my fangs, and banished him from my room before he could proposition anything else to me. At this point, I'd agree to anything to get a decent amount of sleep.

* * *

Bran took the long way down to the girls' floor. The _very_ long way down. He stopped by Lin's workplace for that day; she was tending a rather mean land spirit who had scared off the other workers. He saved her from a nasty tirade, ordered some other workers to get their scrawny hides in there, the cowards, and dragged Lin off to a quieter corner of the Bathhouse. He summoned some food from the kitchens (leaving some gold in its place) and handed it to Lin. She stared at him.

"Are you trying to give me a peaceful death or something?" she asked suspiciously.

Bran smirked. "Mebbe."

"…"

She began eating.

"You must know that Zeniba and the Council are coming to stay here," he said, and she nodded. "I have a feeling that the Thunderbird was sent to destroy the Bathhouse before they could arrive, so that they would be forced to put the negotiations on hold. If they sent a Thunderbird, without a care for all the Spirits here, I think it's obvious that once Zeniba and the Council arrive whoever sent the Thunderbird will pull out all the stops. Kohaku has the same feeling. Chihiro and Skylar aren't safe here, and I wanted to take Skylar home with me anyway, so I offered to take Chihiro as well. The dragon says that he'll only allow it if I bring you to be her official unofficial bodyguard."

Lin swallowed hard. "He's always dumping that human on me!" she growled, and looked up at the ceiling. "I'll take the job—but I better get a pay raise for this, you glorified worm!"

Bran chuckled at the gall she had to yell at Haku; knowing how powerful the dragon was, he could probably hear Lin's remarks through the Bathhouse floors. Lin probably knew that, too.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon by train, while the Bathhouse is asleep. I suggest you sleep on the girls' floor, just to be safe."

Lin grumbled something incoherent but probably insulting, and Bran shook his head with a smile. "Now, I'm going to go up to my lady. Good luck with that patron—he's just scared off your coworkers."

He faded away like smoke on the wind, leaving Lin staring at the spot he had just vacated.

"You jerk! You could have at least dropped me off at the bath!"

* * *

Bran stepped out of the elevator onto our floor and found the lights still on in my room. He knocked on the door and heard me call, softly, "Come in." Upon opening the door he found me sitting on my bed reading a book, with Skylar dozing against my shoulder. Bran smiled at the sight, but I wasn't so happy.

"Bran," I said, "we need to talk."

"Again?" he sighed. "Let me put her to bed…" I scooted over to let Bran pick up Skylar. He tucked her against his chest with ease and crossed over to her room. I followed and sat down on the loveseat to wait. He laid her gently on her bed and pulled her covers over her. She reached out for his hand and held on with a vice-like grip. He leaned closer, resting his chin on his arm. "Something wrong?"

Skylar rolled over and pulled his hand to her cheek. He must have felt that her skin was crusty from crying, and his brow crinkled. "Yeah," she said, but didn't offer him an explanation. He was obviously worried, and was probably wondering what could have happened while he was gone.

"We're going home tomorrow," he said after a moment. "Could you tell me there?"

She seemed to consider this, and then she nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright." He bit his lip, then he leaned up and pressed a hesitant kiss to her cheek. "Goodnight, Skylar."

"Night."

He walked back to where I was.

"What happened?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

I sighed and pointed to a chair. He sat down obediently and waited patiently for me to collect my thoughts. "Skylar has something to tell you," I said, "but she's worried that you're too naïve—no, that's not the word. Too stupid—to really understand it."

He blinked. "That's possible," he admitted. "Quite likely. More than that. Almost without a doubt."

I laughed softly. "That's the truth! But anyway, Bran… I want you to consider something. She is the same _person_ that you loved ages ago: the same body, the same voice, the same soul. But her personality isn't the same."

"I've known her for a couple of years now, Chi. I've realized that. Somehow. To some extent." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know, though. I still love her."

"Really?"

He looked up at me with an expression on his face that betrayed how old he really was. The look in his eyes was heart-breaking, and his words were soft but deliberate as he said, "I love her with all my heart and soul, no matter what that may mean. And if I have to learn to love her differently, and make her love me, all over again… Then I will."

* * *

"Chihiro?" She turned at the sound of her name and found Haku watching her from the doorway. Her face lit up when she saw him, and he smiled thinly in return. "Did that pesky lord tell you already?"

"Actually, no. But I guess that I'm going to be going with them, wherever the 'home' he was talking about is?"

Haku nodded. "He wants to take Skylar back to his kingdom, and he convinced me to let you go with him." She raised her eyebrows and he chuckled. "I took a while to convince, but he was right. We have ambassadors coming to stay here at the bathhouse; they're negotiating peace, hopefully, between two warring kingdoms, but it will be quite dangerous to be around here."

Chihiro nodded at him. "Sounds like it's a good idea to get out of there."

"Yes... The thing is, Zeniba is one of the ambassadors." Chihiro immediately froze, and Haku saw her glance toward the hair band, which was still on the bedpost where she'd put it earlier. "I was wondering if you wanted me to confront her, or if you wanted to do it yourself."

The human girl blinked. "Uhhh." Her eyes focused on his, and she remembered the inhuman growl, the fangs... And he had _defeated_ Yubaba in a magic battle... She shook her head. "I'll do it myself," she said. "Do you think… The train goes past Zeniba's house in that direction. I don't know if that's the direction we're going in, but if we are, then maybe we could delay the trip a few hours and stop by her place?"

Haku considered this and nodded. "I think I can afford to take a few hours off from work here and back you up," he mused. "I'll ride the train with you, stay for the confrontation, and then come back in time for the negotiations. How does that sound to you, my dear?"

Chihiro nodded. "That sounds good."

"Alright then," he said. "I'll go gather the train tickets."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

Bran, Skylar, and I were ready and waiting within an hour of waking. Bran sat beside Skylar on the couch, watching over her shoulder as she drew and reaching over to add to her picture in ways that made her laugh. I was grinning at them and riffling through Skylar's backpack to see what she had brought with her. Not much: a hairbrush, some practical and essential girl stuff, her cell phone (no bars), and a photograph of her parents. I frowned. Were they really her parents? How much did they know? I'd have to ask her to explain that later...

Lin walked in, a pack slung over her shoulder and, to my surprise, numerous scabbards hanging off of her. She had a katana, some other sort of shorter blade, and two daggers were strapped to her forearms. Slung across her back was a staff with an ornate, deadly looking edge attached to the end. Following my gaze, she gave me a grin. "Never seen a glaive-guisarme?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Nope."

Lin took it and spun it in her hands impressively. I saw Bran and Skylar watching out of the corner of my eye, and I could tell they were as impressed as I was as Lin twirled the glaive. She suddenly planted it in the ground and sat. "I could teach you," she said.

"That'd be so cool!" I exclaimed, and hugged her. "Thank you so much!"

"Watch out, Lin," Bran warned with a grin. "She's more likely to skewer herself than anything."

Lin eyed me, and then produced something from within her pack. It was a thick leather scabbard that held, I soon found out, a wicked dagger. "I'm only coming to protect you," she said, "but you need to learn how to protect yourself, just in case. Hold your knife like this, and thrust like _this."_

After one more hour of waiting and learning how to use the knife, Haku stepped out of the elevator and into the doorway. He held up his hands defensively, his eyes wary and his expression tired. "Who let her within six feet of something sharp?" he asked.

I glowered at him as everyone laughed. "I'm not _that_ bad," I grumbled.

Haku grinned as they continued laughing. "Right," he said. "Well, the train is due to arrive in about five minutes. I suggest we go down to the platform." He held out a hand to help me up, and everyone else began to follow. I gave Skylar her backpack back, and then strapped my new weapon around my waist. Haku put his arm across my shoulders and glanced around at the others.

Bran had murmured something to Sky and she had shaken her head, and then her backpack had disappeared. Then Bran turned to me and asked, "Do you want me to send your pack to Zeniba's, to my place, or do you want to keep it?"

I considered that. "I'd like to keep it, actually," I decided, and he nodded. "Alright, Haku, I'm ready." Haku nodded at Bran—and the next thing I knew, we were standing on the platform. Lin moved to stand beside me, and Haku smirked. "She's really taking this bodyguard thing seriously, isn't she?" I sighed.

"She should be," he replied. "She got a triple raise for it."

I grinned at Lin, and the smirk she gave me spoke volumes.

The train arrived finally and Haku handed our tickets to the shadow, as well as a few pieces of gold. I raised my eyebrows at that, but Haku gave me a look that told me to keep quiet for the moment. He led us further into the compartment and I saw that it was completely empty of anyone else. He gestured for me to take a seat, then turned and watched the conductor leave to the front of the train. Skylar sat down beside me, and Bran sat down on her other side while Lin and Haku remained standing.

"What's going on?" I asked no one in particular.

"Haku and I have many enemies," Bran said dismissively. "And no one really likes humans, so there's also that. Lots of things."

I raised my eyebrows and exchanged a meaningful look with Sky. We both trained glares on our respective boys. Bran paled, but Haku merely smiled innocently—or as innocently as a dragon can smile. I sighed. "What are you hiding?" I asked.

"If I told you," Bran said,

"It wouldn't be hidden," Haku finished.

I groaned, and turned to Skylar. "Since they won't tell us anything, I think this would be a great time to catch me up," I said, and she nodded.

"Where should I begin?" she asked.

We spent about two hours filling in the blanks about Sky's past and present, with Haku, Bran and even Lin popping in from time to time to add things. But as the sun began to set our conversation began to slow, and Skylar dozed off against Bran's shoulder. I looked up at Lin. "Did you know Sky before...?"

Lin's eyes snapped to Bran's face, and I glanced at him. He wasn't looking at Lin, but his jaw clenched. Lin's lips parted and she frowned. "I don't... I can't..."

Haku touched Lin's arm and she sighed. Haku turned his luminous eyes to me. "The old contracts took away a worker's memories of their pasts and their names, as you know. Although I rewrote every contract and gave everyone back their names, many people didn't regain memories. Lin was one of them."

I stood and hugged Lin, careful to avoid all of her blades. She hugged me back. "Thanks, Sen," she said. "It's not that big of a deal, you know..."

I wanted to say, "You don't know that!" but decided that might not be the best thing to say at the moment. I simply nodded and sat back down again, glancing back at Bran. If Lin had known Skylar, then she would have known Bran, wouldn't she? So why had Bran refused to meet her eyes, and why didn't he tell her about herself? I wanted to ask Skylar if she could remember anything about this, but it would have to wait for later.

We had just pulled up at Swamp Bottom.


	12. Friends and Family

Back from the trip. Thank God.

**

* * *

Chapter Twelve**

**Chapter Twelve: Chapter Twelve**

We stepped off the train and Chihiro immediately ran off down the way without consulting us. I smiled and shook my head, but Lin's reaction was much worse. She let out a frustrated sigh and went to chase Chihiro down, followed by Haku at a quick pace. Bran took my hand and together we stepped onto the dirt path; it was dark, and the stars were beginning to come out on the horizon. Towards the west it was still faded bright blue, and I kept my eyes trained on that sliver of sky as the rest of it darkened.

Suddenly, Bran stopped; I followed his example and looked back at him to find that he was looking into the shadows by the swamp with cold intensity. I turned my head to see what he was staring at so intently, and I found a familiar pair of green eyes staring back at us. Raiko's gaze wandered across my face, then back to Bran's. He shrugged eloquently and seemed to vaporize, becoming nothing more than a wisp of fog on the wind.

"I forgot about asking you about that earlier," I said uneasily. "What have you been doing since I've been gone?"

"Can you wait until we get home for that explanation?" he asked tersely. "You're not safe 'till we get inside Zeniba's, and I have to deal with this situation before it escalates." I recoiled at his angry tone and he sighed, turning to face me. He put his hands on mine. "I'm sorry," he said softly, almost purring it. His breath passed over my face and swept down my throat into my lungs, cool and sweet like mountain fog. I smiled at him rigidly.

"I remember that trick. Your breath is like a drug that relaxes, calms, and makes someone—in this case, me—easier to manipulate."

"Well, did it work?" he asked hopefully.

"Considering I can't feel my legs from the knee down, and the only thing keeping me up is you, I'd say it did." I punched him in the chest and he grinned. "No throwing me over the shoulder."

"Bridal style, then?"

"Ugh, no." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, can you explain why you can't give me a simple explanation?"

He shook his head. "No. Not really. It would only create more questions than it answers. Now, we've wasted too much time anyway. Come on."

He swung me onto his hip as if I were a child, which, considering my size (or lack thereof), I was. Our faces were inches from each other, and I was worried. His eyelashes flickered as his eyes roamed across my face; his sharp nose bumped mine and he exhaled slightly as he smiled.

"I'm going to have to leave you with Zeniba for a night, but I should be back tomorrow in time for the train. I don't want you to put even a single hair outside of her cottage; not even the garden is safe."

"You'll be explaining why later, I guess," I said.

"That's right, little one." He kissed me, slow and sweet, and when he pulled away he kept his face close, our foreheads touching for a while. "I'll never get tired of kissing you," he whispered and I felt my heart squeeze tight, a girlish squeal threatening to burst out of my chest. But at the same time I was worried. I frowned at him, wondering why I was bothered by his behavior—why should I be bothered when I have a beautiful boy kissing me?—and he began walking.

We had just passed through the gate when I finally managed to remember what this reminded me of. There had been many wars during the time I knew Bran in my "past life" so to speak; each time he left to participate in them…

"You're afraid you won't be coming back."

Bran didn't stop walking. "There's a war brewing, _cariad,"_ he sighed.

"Is it that serious?" I asked, and I could feel dread beginning to settle in my gut.

"It's that serious." He set me down in front of Zeniba's door. "Remember what I said about being safe."

He squeezed my hand, even as he became vapor and blew away on the breeze. I could have sworn I heard him whisper, "Cosmic forces indeed," as he disappeared, but I didn't let it trouble me too much. I had other things to worry about; like the angry Chihiro standing in the doorway.

* * *

Skylar seemed troubled as I held the door open for her. "Chi, has Haku mentioned a war at all?" she asked.

"Sort of." She nodded at me, but I could tell that she wasn't really paying attention. I sighed. "I'll tell you about it later," I said. "For now, I'd like you to meet my granny."

Zeniba had been watching the exchange with thinly disguised matronly interest, and she smiled at us as we turned to her. "Hello there, Lady Säde."

Skylar blinked. "Uh… Hello, Zeniba."

Haku, who had been leaning casually on a wall to the side, spoke up. "She doesn't remember anything, Zeniba."

"I understand. A few hundred years does have that effect on the memory." Zeniba gestured for us to sit down at the table. "No Face is working in the garden, but he should be in soon. Then I can make dinner for us."

"Good," I said. "Then we have time to talk." I pulled the hair band out of my hair and placed it on the table, carefully watching for her response. She merely continued to smile, this time closed-mouthed, and she slowly blinked her giant eyes. Haku straightened up and moved closer, and I continued. "I have some questions about this."

"I suppose you do," she said. "And I have some explaining to do. But you first."

I hadn't been expecting that—frankly, I'd expected a more Yubaba like reaction. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts. Then I glanced at Haku, and he nodded. "When Haku came to my world, he got hit by lightning. I found him in a clearing about a mile from my house, and had no way to get him back to my house. Suddenly, we were in my room.

"Later, something made me kiss him, and it wasn't all me. Haku and I were talking and we realized that I was being influenced, and we determined that it was the hair band. I don't care about the how, I want the why."

"You've become a lot more confident since I last saw you," Zeniba mused.

"Yes," I said. "Something you guys helped me accomplish." I glanced at Haku for him to take over.

"I understand that the spell on the band was a living spell, something to help Chihiro in any situation. But using that connection to manipulate her?" Haku's voice hadn't risen at all, but the edge it had adopted made a chill settle on the room. "You have better have a good reason."

Zeniba's eyes didn't even twitch; her lips curved upward. "Is that a threat, Kohaku?" She didn't wait for Haku to answer, though it was clear he wasn't going to. "I had waited six years for your return, my dear dragon. You can't begrudge an old woman wanting her granddaughter to be happy. Both of you wanted it; I just gave her a nudge."

"There's more than that," Haku said. "I don't appreciate being lied to."

The change was immediate. Zeniba's gaze narrowed and Haku's hair stood on end as magic filled the room. He hissed at her, and in my mind's eye I could image his tail whipping uneasily. He had his teeth bared and his knuckles were white from gripping the table so tightly. His muscles were tensed and if he were in dragon form, he would have been coiled and snarling. "Stop your spell and speak!" he commanded, and his voice was so low it was like distant thunder.

There was a flash of fire and I looked back at Zeniba in search of its source, but didn't see it. "There is a prophecy," Zeniba said after a moment of tense silence. "I do not know all of it, only part. 'Childhood lovers / Hearts of gold / A child of theirs left all alone / Of father's flesh and mother's bone / Savior of two worlds in one / An era ends when deed is done.'"

I blinked at her, and then looked at Haku, but he was frowning as well. I glanced over my shoulder at Sky, but she shrugged and said, "Prophecies were never my thing."

Zeniba cackled softly. "It's pretty self explanatory, Chihiro," she said, but her voice was gentle. "You and Haku will have a child that will save the Human and Spirit worlds."

"But what about that whole 'left all alone' thing?" I asked. It sounded awfully like death; Haku's eyes had narrowed to slits in his face, and he bared his teeth at Zeniba when I spoke. I was surprised flames weren't coming out of _his_ nostrils, but then again—he was a dragon, and… I felt myself flush. Perhaps I was his treasure?

"It doesn't necessarily mean what you seem to think it means, Chihiro," she said soothingly. "It's quite likely that you and your dragon would go to his river and reside there while your child goes off to save the worlds—or something else along those lines. I wouldn't be too worried about it if I were you… And, Dragon? I'd appreciate it if you fixed those scratches in my tabletop."

Haku pulled his hands away from the table and I saw that he had indeed dug deep tracks into the wood. They healed before my very eyes, but I could tell that Haku was probably wishing he could leave them there. That didn't sit well with me; even though Zeniba had manipulated my emotions and was angering me, she was still my Granny and he was being extremely rude.

He met my gaze and his expression clouded with confusion. I raised an eyebrow at him, but then looked back at Zeniba. "We'll take our time, thank you very much," I said firmly. "I'm certainly not having any children quite yet."

"And why not?" Zeniba asked, her eyebrows shooting upwards.

I blushed, and Skylar was choking loudly somewhere behind me. Haku was looking anywhere but at me, and I could see he was biting his lip and clenching his fists for some reason. I looked up at the ceiling to try and keep my composure. "Well, I'm not married, my parents wouldn't approve, and we're still getting to know each other."

Zeniba was grinning and nodding at me. I felt beyond confused, but I was happy that she wasn't pressing it anymore. "You will do well, Chihiro," she said. "I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you."

I managed to smile and finally allowed myself to hug her. "Thank you. But," I said after pulling away, "you have to stop messing with me."

Zeniba smiled. "I promise. Ahhh, No Face. There you are."

* * *

Haku and I were outside in the garden. Zeniba had made a small dinner for us and we had eaten it in near silence, and after the dishes were cleaned Haku had quietly asked me to step outside with him. We were walking through the grass, him with his arms hanging loosely by his sides, and me with my hands tucked into my pockets.

"I'll have to leave soon," Haku said quietly.

I sighed. "I thought you might…"

"However, I think that I should come see you again in a few days. I'd like to find my river, but before that I must set a few more things up at the Bathhouse in preparation for the Council's arrival." He glanced at me and I nodded at him.

"That sounds good," I said.

He looked away at a flower, and then he looked back at me. "What did I do wrong?"

I grimaced. "You overreacted. I had it covered in there… You didn't have to be so rude to Granny."

Haku seemed surprised. "She insinuated that—I mean—she… You can't…" His sharp cheekbones were tinged faint pink. I couldn't help but smile slightly at his flustered expression; it was absolutely adorable. "Chihiro…" He sighed. "Prophecies cannot be changed, and often the most obvious meaning is what you should take. Zeniba may say that it doesn't mean what you and I think, but it could very well mean just that."

He turned to me suddenly. "There is a spell that would prevent you from becoming pregnant for a year and one day…"

I felt my own face turning pink. "Do you even understand the human reproductive system?" I asked him.

His gaze flickered with concern. "I believe I do… Can you control the form your child takes during pregnancy?"

A giggle escaped my lips; it grew into a chortle, and then a guffaw. He was absolutely bewildered, clueless as to why I was laughing so hard. I put my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. "Oh, Haku… We're going to have a very long, and very embarrassing conversation at your river."

I couldn't wait to tell Skylar about this.

* * *

Chihiro was sitting beside me in a corner of what had at one point been Zeniba's kitchen. Her granny had cast a spell and the furniture had shifted off to the side to clear a space for some folding cots. There was one for Lin, but she had moved it outside saying that she was going to keep watch and that, since she was an Earth Spirit by nature, she liked it better outside anyway. We had insisted, but she had refused every one of our pleas for her to come inside; eventually we gave up and Chihiro and I set up our own beds in the corner. After bidding Zeniba good-night, we had sat down on them and were whispering to each other like teenage girls. Which we were.

I had a hard time keeping myself quiet when she told me about her conversation with Haku. "Luckily for Bran and I," I said as I tried to get my snickers under control, "he had an intimate knowledge of biology already. We were able to avoid that. To my knowledge, at least." I winked at her.

"You think you'd know," she said amusedly. "But I guess, in the Spirit World, anything could happen."

I nodded, and then leaned back into the springy fabric of the cot. I looked up at the dark ceiling and then closed my eyes, giving in momentarily to the ache in my chest and wondering if Bran was okay. I wished I had some way of knowing—I couldn't stand being in the dark about something like this, when there was a war going on and when I had only just gotten him back…

There was something tickling in the back of my mind, buzzing around my consciousness like a fly. But no matter how hard I strained my mind, I couldn't remember it. I sighed, giving up on that endeavor, and looked back at Chihiro. She was gazing dreamily out the window, the look on her face so gentle and warm and happy that it made me smile as well.

I wondered if it had ever been like that between Bran and I. It must have been, at _some _point…right?

I rolled over to fully face Chihiro and smiled slightly at her. "You have to let me show you around the place," I said, bringing her back to earth. "It's amazing. I can remember that much, at least!"

"Do you remember enough to keep from getting lost?" she asked me, laughing quietly.

"I dunno," I replied. "But I know Ilmarinen does!"

Chi tilted her head to the side, her trademark quizzical look appearing on her face. "Who's that?"

I opened my mouth to reply, and then my voice died in my throat. I only vaguely remembered a face. The exact features were a bit blurry, but I could recall very long, curly hair, a deep black like the color of burned charcoal; skin brown as chocolate, and eyes as bright orange as cool flames and autumn leaves. My heart was splintering inside my chest. She was my best friend, I could remember that. But I couldn't remember if she was short or tall, thin or plump, young or old, quiet or loud… And would we still be friends?

I swallowed thickly.

"She was my best friend. Like a sister. Like you are."

Chihiro leaned over and hugged me tightly. I sighed and shrugged. "I think you'll like her. Maybe."

She squeezed and let me go. "I bet I will," she said calmly. "We've already got something in common."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Hm?"

She gave me a dazzling smile. "You."


	13. Bitter

**Chapter Thirteen: Chapter Thirteen**

I woke to a hand pressing against the curve of my cheek. A thumb rubbed back and forth, and traced the bridge of my nose; breath fluttered across my face, and then a pair of dry, warm lips brushed across my eyelids.

"Good afternoon, dearest," Bran whispered as I reached out for his neck and pulled him closer. He nuzzled my cheek and stretched out on the floor beside my cot, propping himself up on his elbow.

"What time is it?" I yawned.

He chuckled softly. "Late. It's about four in the afternoon, I think." He stroked the side of my neck. "Chihiro says you two stayed awake all night."

I grinned. "What do you expect from two teenage girls?" Bran's amused smile filled me with a sort of gentle giddiness; my smile was only broken as I yawned again. "When did you get here?" I asked.

"Just about two minutes ago," he replied. "The train should be here in about half an hour… Chihiro, Lin and Zeniba are out in the garden, so you can take your time waking up. No hurry."

But I had already gotten up from the cot and pulled him upwards. He watched in amusement as I stumbled, and then pulled Chihiro's cot over so that it was touching the side of mine. Then I flopped back down.

"You should lie down, Bran," I said. "You look tired."

He dropped his cheerful façade and carefully sat down on the cot beside me. He had been able to disguise the physical appearance of bags under his eyes and the gauntness of his cheeks, but nothing could hide the weariness in his gaze. He passed a hand over his face and left it across his eyes, exhaling heavily.

"Long night?" I asked as I found his other hand and squeezed. He snorted.

"You could say that again. I don't know how my kingdom managed to run itself while I was gone. Fortunately, I straightened out everything last night, but…" He rubbed at his eyes and shifted on to his side to look at me. He took our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. "Don't be worried," he said quietly when he saw my frown. "Things will be fine. I'm just tired, that's all."

I raised an eyebrow at that, but let it pass. I'd bug him about explanations later, in private. For now, I had a nosy No Face in the window to deal with.

* * *

When the train arrived, Lin sent me in to wake Bran, and Skylar and I dragged him out to the station. Zeniba came with us to bid us farewell, and she stood on the platform waving at us as we drew away.

Bran fell asleep this time, dozing with his cheek on Skylar's hair. There was a joke to be made about how short she was, and that made Lin laugh and Sky turn red. I offered her an unapologetic grin and she rolled her eyes at me.

"So, Lin, what can you tell us about Bran's home?" I asked my friend. "Is it like a castle or something?"

Her brown hair fluttered as she shook her head. "All the Lords and Ladies have castles, but that's not where we're going. His castle is grand enough, I suppose—nothing like the Lady of Earth, Avani's palace."

Skylar rolled her eyes. Lin smirked.

"But his actual home is beautiful. It's nestled in the highest peak of the second largest mountain range in our World. It's huge like a castle, but…" She seemed to be struggling, and finally said, "You have to see it yourself, I guess."

I looked at Skylar and she was staring at her hands with a distant expression. She nodded to herself absently. "I wonder if he changed the color of the carpets," she said with a soft smile at her sleeping husband. "He always hated that shade of purple."

I leaned back and looked out the window, leaving Bran to sleep and Skylar to dwell in her memories. Lin turned with me, her stance so strangely alert it was like she was made of wood.

I watched the shadows of passing spirits and suddenly frowned. "Lin, why are they just shadows, and you and everyone else are…normal looking?"

She followed my gaze, her expression deeply emotional. "Those spirits have homes to go to. When you have a home, when you have a bonded place, then you can choose what form you take. Spirits like me, and like Haku, can only be in one corporeal form or another."

She didn't look back at me, and I didn't press it. I sat back and watched Skylar as she held Bran's hand.

Things were silent for the rest of the ride, until Skylar's head suddenly snapped up to the window and her eyes focused on something outside. A broad grin lit up her face and she said, "We're here!"

She stood, letting Bran fall against the bottom of the seat to wake with a star, and she grabbed my arm. She dragged me to the door and put her hands against the glass, and then she pointed. "There! You can see the bell-tower!"

Looming up above us was the biggest mountain I'd ever seen—and we were already half way up it. There was a thick fog blanketing the peak, with black rock, dark trees, and bright white snow peeking through the gray wall of mist. I followed Skylar's finger and indeed I could see a tall square spire seemingly cut out of the mountain itself. Something bright gold glistened in the middle of it, probably the bells.

Bran yawned loudly in the background and said, "Şule insisted on some remodeling. We finally got rid of that damn purple carpeting…"

Skylar and I exchanged snickers and grins and then turned back to the window to watch. Within ten minutes I saw all sorts of strange creatures flit in and out of the fog and trees at the side of the tracks; deer the size of bears with snowy fur and ivory antlers, mysterious figures I could only see the outlines of, and a hulking wolf as big as a horse with eyes that glowed in the darkness.

As the train began to slow, Skylar frowned and turned to Bran. "Does the train not go up to the castle now…?"

He nodded. "Safety precautions," he said. "None of us have trains that go into our actual homes anymore. There have been attacks and attempts at attacks, and all sorts of weird people."

"We don't have to walk, do we?"

Bran snorted. "No. That one time was more than enough for me. No, I'll just pull us in to the entrance hall." He stood as the train squealed to a halt that sent me stumbling into Skylar and Lin sprawling across the next row, and I glowered at Bran for his un-falling down-ness.

He gave me a wicked grin and walked to the door, moving his hand and opening the door with magic. The fog that had been so thick around the glass windows of the door that I couldn't see a foot in front of the train; but as Bran stepped out, the fog parted like the Red Sea, revealing a huge cavern carved out of the black rock of the mountain. There was a loop for the train to turn around, and there were torches of white fire along the walls to light the platform. The only opening out of the cavern was the way the train had come, and there was a shimmering milky skin across the mouth of the cave.

Skylar was frowning at it. "It'll let the natives and the fog and the train in, but you can't come out," she explained to me quietly. "So if someone comes up here and doesn't belong, they can't get to the castle and are stuck here until the guards come. And no one can get out of the train while it's in motion anyway…"

Bran nodded, confirming her theory. "Things have changed," he said. "Things are more dangerous."

My friend's frown deepened. "I can see," she sighed. "Well, let's get upstairs."

He held out his hand for her and she accepted it distantly. He glanced at us. "Try to land on your feet. And try to keep the contents of your stomach _in_ your stomach."

Before I could express my alarm, all the air disappeared from the cavern as if it had become a vacuum. I wanted to open my mouth and gasp for air but I couldn't move—and then the vacuum began to suck, and I felt like I was being squeezed through a very thin tube. My vision burst into stars and it felt like my brain was being squeezed out of my toes—and then I reversed direction and my feet slammed into a very, very hard floor.

I toppled over and landed face-first in what actually turned out to be a plush scarlet carpet. Lin landed on top of me and I groaned as her bony hips and elbows practically skewered me. It took her a few moments to collect herself before she could crawl off of me, and it took me a few more before my head stopped spinning and I could stand.

"What the heck was that?" I asked Skylar, who was steadying me.

"That was breaking through the security barriers," she said. "Apparently the spells are so tight it feels like you're going through a pasta stringer…wringer…thingy." She seemed a bit loopy herself, and I glowered at Bran for both of our troubles, but he was staring firmly at a point in the ceiling and swaying slightly.

"There's got to be a way around it," I grumbled.

Skylar rolled her eyes. "Of course there is. I'll get on Bran's back about it… Speaking of Bran…" She turned to him and took a deep breath. "Wakey-wakey, Bran!"

He jumped and blinked woozily at her. "Hmmm?"

"You feeling ready to take us on a tour, at least to our rooms?"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah… You guys okay?"

We rolled our eyes at him. "Shoulda asked that two minutes ago," Skylar muttered, and reached over to help Lin up. She was practically cross-eyed, and Skylar bit her lip. "Lin, you might want to stay down here for a bit," she suggested. "Bran can have someone show you up later, when you feel better."

"Ugh…that sounds good," Lin said under her breath, pressing a hand to her temples. Bran nodded.

"I'll send Şuledown," he said more to Skylar than to Lin. "I have a feeling they'll get along." Bran waited for a few moments, and then he turned to the nearest door and sighed.

"Alright, let's get this started, huh?"

Skylar groaned, hooked arms with me, and then we were off. The red carpeted hall led into a narrow but very, very tall corridor. The stonework was all of the same black stone of the mountain, worn smooth in most places but rough in others, looking like it had been carved from the very mountain wall. Torches lit up as we passed, all filled with the same white flame. As they flared, they caught the gold and pearl inlays in the stone, creating an eerie glow.

The windows were frosted over with spider-like fingers of ice. As we neared the end of the hall, a side door opened and a tall, thin figure stepped out. "My Lord, my Lady," a quiet male voice echoed down to us.

"Fintan," Bran said, and Skylar's grip on my arm tightened slightly. I glanced down at her to find that she'd drawn back slightly behind my shoulder. I wondered why—was she afraid of this Fintan, or just shy?

After a few moments of silence, Bran nodded and Fintan disappeared back into the other room. Bran turned to us. "Sorry for that," he said. "Sky, as I'm sure you heard, Chihiro has Nadab's room."

Skylar nodded and allowed him a small smile. "Lead the way."

He faced the dead end before us and held out his hand, palm up and two fingers directed at it. I watched in awe as the outline of a door flared up in thin silver tendrils of magic. Bran glanced over his shoulder to Skylar.

"Do you want to be written into the lock?"

She nodded and came forward, and after grasping his hand she placed her other one on the wall. The light around the door grew blindingly bright, and little cracks appeared in the stone, centering around Skylar's hand. Runes flared around the jagged circle, and then the blue turned red. With a groan that reverberated down the corridor, the stone became heavy oak. Skylar pushed the door open, and then we passed into a brightly lit hallway lined with tall portraits and clear windows and comfortably sized wooden doors. Skylar's smile grew. "Now, this I remember," she said.

Bran returned her smile. "Not much has changed, aesthetically," he said. "All the rooms are still the same, none of the stairs have shifted. You'll still get lost, of course, but that's a normal getting lost." He winked at us.

"At least it isn't Rezar's place," Sky said to me. "Rezar's palace is a labyrinth. He eats Sudoku puzzles for breakfast and does his crosswords in pen."

Bran chuckled. "Yes, well Rezar gets lost in his palace too. He just enjoys it… Top of the stairs and turn left, guys."

We headed up the stairs and turned left like he said, and we were faced with a huge painting of a dragon.

"I'm sure Haku will love that," Skylar remarked, and I laughed.

"I'm sure he will," I said. "But how do you get in?"

Bran put his hand out towards it. "Chihiro, you too," he said, and I put my hand out as well. Bran touched the dragon's tail, and I touched its tip, and I felt magic spark beneath my fingers.

The dragon moved.

I gasped, my jaw on the floor, as the reptile turned its massive, ruby-scaled head towards us. Flames licked its jaws as it eyed us down its snout.

"Ho there, Nadab," Bran said cheerily. "This is Chihiro. She needs a lot of protecting, so I thought you'd be the best for the job."

"'Ho there,'" the dragon scoffed, and its voice made my bones rattle. "You can keep your 'ho there' to yourself." His tail swished and he leaned closer to me. I could _feel_ heat from its breath against my face. "Your name meansss…a thousand questions. Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?"

I didn't have a chance to respond before he'd whipped his body away to face Bran. His tail smashed against some rocks, and his wings, attached to his elbows, flared as he clambered back to Bran's level. "I'll take her."

"Thanks." Bran turned to me. "Now that Nadab knows you, he'll let you open the room. Just touch the knob here." Bran pointed at a rock that looked no different than any other, but I reached for it and found that when my fingers touched it a door appeared in the wall to the right.

"And if you're ever in…_trouble,"_ Nadab rumbled, "just run over here and duck beneath my frame. I'll roast the troublemakers where they stand."

"That's nice of you," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, it is." He curled up smugly on his treasure trove, and extended a claw in Bran's direction. Bran rolled his eyes and spun his fingers. By some sleight of hand he pulled a gold necklace out of nowhere and tossed it lightly at the painting. It seemed to fly through the canvas as if the painting were just a window, and Nadab caught the necklace when it was close enough.

"Alright," Bran said. "Let me go inside first to make sure everything's safe."

He headed inside the room and I spun around to face Skylar, who was grinning. "I like this," I said. She laughed.

"I always did," Sky said, and looked back at Nadab, who was purring as he watched us, his tongue flicking out and his tail swishing with soft clanks. "I'm sorry I can't remember you much, Nadab."

"Mmmm… That's alright," he rasped. "Now, I believe the master is waiting for you inside."

"Thanks, Nadab."

Skylar hooked arms with me and dragged me into the room. I found myself in a short, tight hallway, and then I was led into the most luxurious room I'd ever been in. It was like the room of a queen: rich fabrics, plush carpeting, and a huge door leading to baths that rivaled those at the bathhouse.

Bran was conversing with what seemed to be a perfectly normal woman, except that her legs were those of a bird, and I could see a beautifully plumed tail trailing between here. She smiled and bowed to me.

"This is Sedna," Bran said. "Haku sent her to take care of you and Lin, when Lin gets up here. She'd be more than happy to help whenever you need anything. I hear she gives very good massages."

Sedna blushed pleasantly. "Master Haku instructed me to give this to you, Mistress." She extended a petite, alabaster hand, previously hidden in the thick fabric of her dress, and handed me a small origami crane.

I held it on the palm of my hand and watched in amazement as it extended its neck and began to unfold, becoming a slightly crumpled square of paper with a message on it.

"I think I'll leave you alone for now," Bran said. "I have something to show Sky. Sedna, if you could show Chi to my dining room for dinner in an hour, please?"

"Of course, Lord Ellil," she murmured, bowing low again.

Bran turned to me. "Feel free to take a bath, wander the halls, draw, whatever you feel like. Just make sure Sedna stays with you so that you don't get too lost."

"Thanks for all this, Bran," I said gratefully, and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, ignoring a shocked squeak from Sedna.

"No problemo, Chihiro." He turned to Skylar, who had been watching silently by the entryway. She smiled.

"After dinner I'll show you my room," she said. "You'll love it. I think."

* * *

Bran paused in the darkening hallway. "Do you want your own room, or…" He trailed off awkwardly. I bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt not to blush too hard.

"I'll have my own room," I said quietly.

"Alright. I had Ilmarinen get both ready for you." He held out his hand for me, and I took it. He began leading me down the halls. "I told you that I would explain… First, about the safety precautions."

"Mhm."

"I have many enemies, some because of my own actions and rulings, and some merely because of my heritage. You have many enemies for the same reasons. Because you can't remember them, and there are too many for me to tell you all about, it's easier to just lay a protection spell and have you stay within it than to have you try to remember which enemy would do what and where."

"I see." I watched him out of the corner of my eye, trying to catch a glimpse of his arms or neck; I saw neither. "And the war?"

He sighed. "I haven't been back long, and I haven't been able to see for myself the reports. But from my understanding, it's the fire and the water spirits fighting again. Every now and then they have their spats, but they haven't had a war since… A very, very long time ago. This time a fire spirit disappeared, one of the River gods disappeared, and they all blame the other side. Some of the attacks—I'm not sure on whose side, maybe both—have Yubaba's magic in them."

"And since she left Boh at the bathhouse, she's probably going to try to retrieve him and her property. I see."

"In the meantime, Zeniba and the Council are trying to make peace between the two sides. The bathhouse is neutral territory for the negotiations, but no one really cares about that."

"And you're involved in this because you're Lord of Wind and Flame? Does that mean you're on the fire side?"

Bran shook his head. "I'll tell you when we get inside."

We stopped in front of a large oak door; it was closed but inviting and familiar. "Remember this?" he asked, but I shook my head. "Let me go first, then."

He reached out for the doorknob and then froze. He pushed me out of the way with one hand and threw the door open with a flick of his wrist. His arms immediately came back to his body, crossing in front of his face to strengthen a shield that hovered inches from his skin; volleys of arrows, knives, and balls of a mysterious black substance came shooting out of the entryway and smacked into Bran's shield.

Bran didn't move even when they had stopped. His eyes remained narrowed at the doorway. After about two minutes of staring into the room, he straightened up. "Stay right behind me," he said, and took a step into the doorway. I followed quickly.

Luckily for us, nothing else jumped out to attack us. Bran soon relaxed and gestured for the door to close.

He then turned to me. "See what I mean about enemies?" I nodded, and he held up a paper tag. "The assassin's signature. They'll pay for this."

"Was it an inside job…?"

"I don't believe it was Ilmarinen. She loves you too much for that. It must have been one of the other servants; apparently we lost a few scullery maids while I was gone and their positions were filled. It has to have been one of them…" He tugged on his hair and sighed, taking a seat in an armchair by the bed. I flopped down on the mattress and looked over at him.

"Back to the war," he said, closing the door with a flick of his wrist. "I'm not on either side, because the war wasn't started by either. It was instigated by an outside force trying to start a war between the fire and water spirits."

"I see. There'd be a lot to gain from a war like that."

"There would be," he agreed. "I want to speak to my father about that, so…"

I frowned. "Is that what that was about?" I asked, referring to yesterday. He bit his lip and shook his head. "Okay then. Let's get to that. Raiko, the burns, that tattoo—what have you been _doing_ with yourself while I've been gone?"

He fingered his sleeve. "The burns are probably easiest to explain… During the fight with that damned magician, he pulled out enchanted chains to hold me down while he sent you away. I couldn't chase after you because of them."

He let his hand rest on the arm of his chair and I reached over, carefully supporting his forearm on my palm. I pushed up his sleeve and bit my lip. "That must have hurt like hell," was the only thing I could say.

He grinned. "I'd do it all over again for you, _cariad." _He began unbuttoning his vest and shrugged it off as he stood; the bandages magically came undone and dropped to the floor around his feet, leaving him bare-chested. I tried not to blush or look too obvious as I ogled him. Despite the fact that he now looked like he'd been mauled by a tiger, not a blender, he looked as handsome as ever… Maybe even better, because I'd always had a thing for badassness…

"It's not a tattoo," he said, bringing me back to the point. "It's a brand."

For a few moments I was struck dumb. I knew, as soon as the words left his mouth, what he had done—but I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be that stupid… The gravity of the situation didn't help as I struggled to keep calm. "You didn't," I gasped out. "You idiot, you didn't!"

He'd lost his smile a while ago, and now his expression was pained. "I had to."

"No you didn't!" I snapped. "You _didn't_ have to."

I could feel furious tears in my eyes and I looked away from him. Just looking at what he'd done made me feel all kinds of horrible: disgusted, enraged, queasy, horrified, saddened beyond belief. I covered my face with my hand and tried to calm myself.

"You sold yourself? You sold your body and your soul for the use of—some stupid maniac?"

Things were deathly silent. He wasn't defending himself, which was appropriate. There were no excuses for what he'd done.

"You are such a freaking idiot," I said, and my voice was shaking with a slightly hysterical edge. "Your kingdom—the entire _world_ is in danger because you sold your soul to some devil!"

Cloth shifted as he began to pace. "I know."

"Of course you knew!" I shrieked, not daring to look at him. "What the hell was your plan? Did you even _have_ a plan?"

I caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. He had his back to me, his hands clasped behind him. His knuckles were white, and his fingers were trembling. He was scared, disgusted with himself, and angry as well.

Good.

"Well?"

"I had no plan, but I told my father. And he didn't stop me."

All the air came whooshing out of my lungs as surely as if I'd been punched. He'd consulted with his father—of course he had. And if Bran's father hadn't stopped him it meant one of two things: This decision was really, really bad…or _really_, really bad, but would lead to the betterment of many.

I felt ice settle in me as tears began to blur my vision. "Why the hell'd you do it?" I asked thickly.

He came to stand in front of me, and he took my shoulders. "Why did I do it? Because I love you. I love you, and our bond…" He hesitated. "You remember our bond, don't you?"

I didn't speak, but a wretched sound escaped my trembling lips as I gave a small shake of my head. He fell to his knees in front of me and took my face in his hands, brushing away the tears that fell from my eyes with his thumbs.

"I know it's s-s-so important and I c-can't remember," I managed to stutter out, but he shook his head, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand.

"No," he whispered. "That's alright. Don't worry, sweetheart. Don't cry…"

I couldn't take it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him pull me to the edge of the bed, and I buried my face in his shoulder. I felt the burns there, and that pulled more tears from my eyes. I sobbed as he stroked my hair and held me as tightly to him as he could, but it just wasn't enough. He couldn't hold me together as I came apart. And the reverse was also true, though the only difference was that when he had been falling apart, I hadn't been there like he was for me.

The thought of him being put in a situation where he had to make such a stupid, desperate decision as to sell himself into the command of someone else… The thought of him being so cornered… The various scenarios played through my mind, each one getting progressively darker, more dangerous, more traumatic than before, and I cried myself out of energy until I was left panting for breath against his soaked skin.

He had one hand tightly knotted in my hair, cupping the back of my skull and gently rubbing, while his other hand was clasped tightly in between my shoulders. His cheek pressed against my head and his breathing had a catch to it. I didn't want to look at him to see if he was crying too.

"I still can't remember," I rasped.

He shifted beneath me. "When we were married, the Spirit parts of us reacted to the ceremony. Something inside of us connected, and I could read your thoughts without even thinking about them—as if they were my own. And at one point, you could do the same with mine. There were other things that came with the bond, but most of all, it ensured that I could protect you. I couldn't stand being separated from you for long… After just two weeks I thought I'd go crazy; after two years…"

His voice was beginning to break.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I can't say I regret my decision."

"Who was it?" I asked.

There was silence.

"Bran—_Bran,_ who was it?"

"Haidar."

I stiffened, and then I let go of him. I pulled away to take his tear-streaked face in, to touch the healed and half-healed wounds that marred his skin. He was beautiful, rugged, and strong, but I saw past that. He was scared, he was guilty; he was broken.

His eyes met mine and I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood. What I had seen in his eyes scared me. I saw the desperation of someone who had gone through hell and back, and knew he was going to go through it again.

"What are we supposed to do?" I asked desperately.

From the look in his eyes, I knew we were screwed.


End file.
